Syracuse Stage Presents An American Classic

Syracuse Stage continues its critically acclaimed season with a sterling production of Lorraine Hansberry's classic American play "A Raisin in the Sun," Feb. 21 - March 11, at the Syracuse Stage/Syracuse University Drama Complex in the Archbold Theatre, 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse.

Since its landmark premiere on Broadway in 1959, "A Raisin in the Sun" has been a staple of the American stage and has resonated with generations of theatergoers. A powerful portrait of a family caught up in the pursuit of the American dream and the hope of a better life, Hansberry's play invites us to consider why the dreams of some are realized, while those of others are, in the words of Langston Hughes, "dreams deferred."

Syracuse Stage artistic director Robert Hupp turned to veteran director Timothy Douglas to bring Hansberry's classic to life on stage. Douglas previously directed "Blues for an Alabama Sky," "A Lesson Before Dying," "Jitney," "The Crucible," "Intimate Apparel," and "Gem of the Ocean" for Syracuse Stage. Hupp considers Douglas "one of the finest directors in America today."

For his part, Douglas has enjoyed a long and formative association with "A Raisin in the Sun." He participated as one of the moving men in the Yale Repertory Theatre's 25th anniversary production of the play, which featured future stars Delroy Lindo and Mary Alice. Later, it was the first play he staged, a catalyst for his 23-year career as a director.

The Syracuse Stage production marks Douglas' fourth association with the play. He finds "A Raisin in the Sun" still powerful, still poetic, and especially resonant in today's world. He has become focused, he explained, on the struggle between Lena Younger and her adult son Walter Lee to determine who is best suited "to lead the family through the harsh realities facing America's 99 percent." Their plans for the family's survival, he added, "are as revolutionary now as they were in the late 1950s."

Two accomplished veteran performers take on these pivotal roles under Douglas' direction. Kim Staunton plays Lena (or Mama). Staunton previously appeared at Syracuse Stage as Rose in the 2010 production of August Wilson's "Fences." In addition to many regional credits, she has been a guest company member at the Denver Center Theatre for 14 years.

Chiké Johnson makes his Syracuse Stage debut as Walter Lee. Johnson has worked extensively in Chicago theater including productions at The Goodman Theater, The Court and the famed Steppenwolf Theater. He has appeared Off-Broadway and has many regional credits, including Rochester's Geva Theatre Center.

The struggle between Lena and Walter Lee forms the central conflict of "A Raisin in the Sun," which revolves around how best to use $10,000 Lena has received as the beneficiary of her late husband's life insurance policy. Lena wants to use most of it to try to relocate the family to a more comfortable home in a better neighborhood. Walter Lee wants to open a liquor store. Other family members including sibling Beneatha (Stori Ayers) and Walter Lee's wife Ruth (Dorcas Sowunmi) have their own ideas concerning the cash. The tension threatens to pull the family apart.

"A Raisin in the Sun" is a co-production between Syracuse Stage and the Indiana Repertory Theatre, where it recently played to very positive reviews. Indiana critics had high praise for Tony Cisek's evocative scenic design and praised the performances: "The actors embody their roles wonderfully, making the ensemble as a whole feel like a true family." Therein lies a significant aspect of Hansberry's success.

In interviews at the time of the opening, Hansberry explained that she was driven to write "A Raisin in the Sun" because she was deeply frustrated by the depiction of African Americans in the theatre, which she described as "cardboard characters, cute dialect bits, or hip-swinging musicals from exotic scenes." None reflected life as she knew and experienced it. She set out to challenge the distortions that had become commonplace and readily accepted. She succeeded. As the great James Baldwin noted of the play: "Never before had so much of the truth of black people's lives been seen onstage."

Hansberry died of cancer in 1964 at the age of 34, two days after her second play, "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window," closed on Broadway. Her late husband, the songwriter Robert Nemiroff, developed two unfinished works after her death, "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" and "Les Blancs."

Casting note: Four local actors will join the cast of "A Raisin in the Sun" when it opens at Syracuse Stage. Donovan Stanfield will appear as Bobo and one of the moving men, and fifth grader Robert "RJ" Murphy will portray Travis, the youngest member of the Younger family. Fourth grader Maxwell "Max" Brown understudies the role of Travis. Syracuse University Department of Drama student James "Jay" Mack will portray the second moving man.

Tickets are now available at www.SyracuseStage.org, by phone at 315-443-3275 and in person at the Box Office.

"A Raisin in the Sun"

By Lorraine Hansberry

Directed by Timothy Douglas

Scenic Designer: Tony Cisek

Costume Designer: Kara Harmon

Lighting Designer: Peter Maradudin

Composer: Michael Keck

Dramaturg: Richard J. Roberts

Stage Manager: Stuart Plymesser*

Casting: Harriet Bass Casting

Cast

Stori Ayers* Beneatha Younger

Jordan Bellow* George Murchison

Chiké Johnson* Walter Lee Younger

Elisha Lawson* Joseph Asagai

James "Jay" Mack? Moving Man

Robert "RJ" Murphy Travis Younger

Dorcas Sowunmi* Ruth Younger

Donovan Stanfield Bobo, Moving Man

Kim Staunton* Lena Younger

Paul Tavianini* Karl Lindner

Understudy

Maxwell "Max" Brown (Travis Younger)

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

Student, Syracuse University Department of Drama

Special Events

Feb. 21 Pay-What-You-Will Performance @ 7:30 p.m.

There will be 76 tickets available for whatever price patrons wish to pay. Pay-what-you-will tickets must be claimed in person at the Box Office on the day of the performance, subject to availability. The Box Office opens at 10 a.m. and will remain open until the start of the show. There is a limit of two tickets per person.

Feb. 23 Opening Night Party (free for ticket holders)

Join the cast for a post-show celebration with live music, food and drinks.

Feb. 25 Prologue at 1 p.m. (free for ticket holders)

An intimate, pre-show discussion with "A Raisin in the Sun" actors one hour prior to curtain. Prologues will be held in the classroom in room 141.

Actor Talkback (free for ticket holders)

A Q&A session with the actors following the 7 p.m. performance. The talkback will be held in the Archbold Theatre.

Feb. 28 Wednesday @ 1 Discussion (free for ticket holders)

Explore the external forces shaping the Youngers' experiences trying to build a better life in the mid-20th century on Chicago's South Side with Jeffrey Gonda, an assistant professor of History in the Maxwell School and the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University. The lecture will begin at 1 p.m. in the Archbold Theatre.

Open Captioning at 2 p.m. Performance for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

March 1 Happy Hour at 6 p.m. (free for ticket holders)

Enjoy complimentary appetizers from With Love, Savannah, half-priced drinks and $5 drink specials at the bar.

March 3 Prologue at 2 p.m. (free for ticket holders)

An intimate, pre-show discussion with "A Raisin in the Sun" actors one hour prior to curtain. Prologues will be held in the classroom in room 141.

ASL Interpreted Performance at 3 p.m. for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

March 7 Dinner & Show ($50, includes dinner and show admission)

Enjoy a buffet dinner at 6 p.m. with fellow theatre lovers in the Sutton Pavilion. Seasonal fare prepared by Phoebe's Restaurant followed by great theatre.

March 8 Prologue at 6:30 p.m. (free for ticket holders)

An intimate, pre-show discussion with "A Raisin in the Sun" actors one hour prior to curtain. Prologues will be held in the classroom in room 141.

March 10 Audio Described Performance at 3 p.m. for patrons who are blind or visually impaired.

Open Captioning at 8 p.m. performance for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

March 11 Open Captioning at 2 p.m. performance for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

ABOUT Syracuse Stage

Syracuse Stage is Central New York's premier professional theatre in residence at Syracuse University. Founded in 1974, Stage has produced more than 300 plays in over 40 seasons including a number of world, American, and East Coast premieres. Each season 70,000 patrons enjoy an adventurous mix of new plays, and bold interpretations of classics and musicals, featuring the finest theatre artists. In addition, Stage maintains a vital educational outreach program that annually serves more than 15,000 students from 14 counties. A solid core of subscribers and supporters helps keep Syracuse Stage a vibrant artistic presence in Central New York. Additional support comes from the government, foundations, corporations and Syracuse University. Syracuse Stage is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, and a member of the Arts and Cultural Leadership Alliance (ACLA), the University Hill Corporation and the East Genesee Regent Association. Syracuse Stage is a member of The League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the largest professional theatre association in the country.

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