Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: One of the central American plays of the 20th century takes its title from a poem by Langston Hughes:
What happens to a dream deferred
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
When Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" came to Broadway in 1959, it suggested a better possibility. It was a portent of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, especially in its story, where the Younger family plans a move from Chicago's black south side to a white suburb, but also in its barrier-breaking creative team and cast.
5 comments:
Raisin in the Sun, I think, was a great commentary and still is a great commentary, on the changing dynamics of black and white neighborhoods. It seems like creating a play that tells the other half of this tale is something that would have come up a little sooner, but nonetheless, I'm glad it's here now to give us a different view of the story. It also sounds like this play is a little comic, which is hard to picture when you think about A Raisin in the Sun, which isn't exactly all laughs. But, I do like that the comic relief offers another juxt-opposition to the two stories.
I really love Raisin in the Sun and it has taken me up to this year to read it which is a shame. However, I find it interesting to define something as a classic because it inspired other works. As a theme to my comments this week is the reactions we should have as artist, then I think it is important to note that lots of plays and books and movies have things made about them. The "classic" star wars films are getting another film, Waiting for Godot got a very modernized sequel, and plenty of Shakespeare plays have additions and changes. I don't think this makes something a classic. I think we are constantly using everything around us to inspire new works and that because a play inspired another play is just a testate to how inspiring that play is. I think classic are more of stories that we can hear over and over again and they never get old. they are things every generation has related to and still does. I think that is a classic and the story of A Raisin in the Sun is just that. although it is directed at racism in the late 1950s many people still see parts of them in the play and want to hear the story over and over again.
I would like to see this production, and find the similarities or connections to "Raisin in the Sun" while also watching the show for what it is, and the message it has to tell - because I'm sure "Clybourne Park" - though inspired by "Raisin in the Sun", has it's very own story to tell. "Raisin in the Sun", was and still is a big hit and contribution to American theater, I wonder will "Clybourne Park" be a successful follow up...?
I saw Clybourne Park at The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and I loved it. The racial tension was really high in that play, and the stakes were amazing. It's so interesting that there's this whole other dimension that I didn't even know about. I also wasn't aware of the huge influence that A Raisin In The Sun has had on American theatre. It's just odd to me that even though I've read so many plays, A Raisin has slipped through the cracks. I'll need to put it on my reading list.
I had only heard rumors of people speaking about how Clybourne Park and Raisin in the Sun are connected. I had zero of an idea about what Clybourne Park was about so this article has definitely helped me know gain a basic understanding of the book. This article also made me have a realization of how much has changed in current society and how the media has grown in 40 years. I am have african american so the racism and segregation that African Americans have suffered is not something I can forget, but I have grown up in a diverse town where we constantly presented the fake notion that racism doesn't really exist anymore. And that all of that is in the past. But just getting out of my town and watching the news, especially with the George Zimmerman case, I know racism still exists. I'm not saying that the country hasn't come a long way, but we have a long way to go. This article has helped make me excited to read Clybourne park now that I know a little more about it.
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