Raisin offers decent fare, though time, money may be better spent elsewhere
Margaret Davis
Issue date: 11/21/08 Section: Focus
2008 has been a historic year. with the economy falling, the weather getting more erratic, and, among it all, the citizens of the United States of America elected their first African-American president. While some are still celebrating Obama's victory, down Euclid Avenue there is a story of rougher times being told. Set nearly 50 years ago, A Raisin in the Sun, the prize-winning play by Lorraine Hansberry currently being put on by the Cleveland Play House, shows the Younger family as they struggle to leave the south side of Chicago for a better, safer neighborhood and a chance to achieve their dreams.
Financial difficulties are not the only thing keeping the Youngers in their cramped apartment. Lena Younger is due for a check of $10,000 from a settlement for her husband's death, helping the family have the financial capability to move. Complicating things are Lena's children, Walter Lee and Beneatha. Walter Lee dreams of opening a liquor store and running a business of his own, while Beneatha, a college student, is looking ahead to medical school and would like the money to help pay her tuition.
Each member of the family has a dream for the money and themselves. The play borrows its name from Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem," and as the title suggests, each dream might be deferred by the reality of South Side Chicago in the late 1950s.
A Raisin in the Sun is a powerful show with a historic message. Each of the characters shows traits that the audience can easily find in themselves, especially in Erika LaVonn's portrayal of Ruth Younger, Walter Lee's wife. As she struggles to figure out what is right for her family, she is forced to make heartbreakingly difficult decisions, each of which is always done in the best interest of her family.
Another strong performance is that of Franchelle Stewart Dorn, a resident actor from the Shakespeare Theater in Washington D.C. and an instructor at The Howard University College of Fine Arts, who plays Lena Younger. Dorn embodies the character of Lena, making it easy to identify with the character that is trying to save her family from the strife of their neighborhood.
Financial difficulties are not the only thing keeping the Youngers in their cramped apartment. Lena Younger is due for a check of $10,000 from a settlement for her husband's death, helping the family have the financial capability to move. Complicating things are Lena's children, Walter Lee and Beneatha. Walter Lee dreams of opening a liquor store and running a business of his own, while Beneatha, a college student, is looking ahead to medical school and would like the money to help pay her tuition.
Each member of the family has a dream for the money and themselves. The play borrows its name from Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem," and as the title suggests, each dream might be deferred by the reality of South Side Chicago in the late 1950s.
A Raisin in the Sun is a powerful show with a historic message. Each of the characters shows traits that the audience can easily find in themselves, especially in Erika LaVonn's portrayal of Ruth Younger, Walter Lee's wife. As she struggles to figure out what is right for her family, she is forced to make heartbreakingly difficult decisions, each of which is always done in the best interest of her family.
Another strong performance is that of Franchelle Stewart Dorn, a resident actor from the Shakespeare Theater in Washington D.C. and an instructor at The Howard University College of Fine Arts, who plays Lena Younger. Dorn embodies the character of Lena, making it easy to identify with the character that is trying to save her family from the strife of their neighborhood.
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