African American Repertory Theater ends season with A Raisin in the Sun

by PegNews wire

African American Repertory Theater will close its 2008-2009 season with Lorraine Hansberry's award winning play A Raisin in the Sun. This play, which won the NY Drama Critics Award for Best Play, was produced on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theater in March 1959.

A Raisin In The Sun opens March 20 and runs through April 12 at the DeSoto Corner Theatre. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. A post-performance talkback with the artists will be held on March 29. Tickets range from $15 to $20 for the run of the production. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 972-572-0998.

Directed by William (Bill) Earl Ray, the production stars the legendary Irma P. Hall, a veteran of television, theater and film, who plays the family matriarch, Lena Younger. Hall’s successful film career includes Soul Food, Collateral, Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns, and recently Hurricane Season starring Forrest Whittaker. The cast also features Vince McGill, Taylore Mahogany Scott, Alonzo Waller, Chris Brown, Elliot Gilbert, Jack O'Donnell, Joshua White, and Regina Washington.

This award winning play sparked the growth of the black theater movement in the 1960's. It is the story of a family living and struggling on Chicago’s South Side in the 1950s. It is a fiercely moving portrait of people whose hopes and dreams are constantly deferred. AART's production marks the 50th anniversary of the play’s Broadway debut.

Posted by Shawn