Kentwood Players announces open auditions for
Lorraine Hansberry’s Classic Family Drama
“A RAISIN IN THE SUN”
On Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2015
At the Westchester Playhouse
Kentwood Players will hold open auditions for Lorraine Hansberry’s classic family drama “A RAISIN IN THE SUN” on Saturday November 14, 2015 from 12:00-4:00pm and on Sunday, November 15 from 6:00-9:00pm. Callbacks, if needed, will be Monday, November 16 at 7:00pm.
This is a non-equity, non-paid production directed by Harold Dershimer and produced by Kathy Dershimer by special arrangement with Samuel French. Performance dates are January 8 through February 13 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm. Auditions and performances take place at the Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Westchester, CA 90045.
Those auditioning should allow time to sign-in and complete paperwork. Please bring a current headshot and resume with you as well as your calendar. A rehearsal schedule will be posted at auditions and you will be asked to note any conflicts. Typically, rehearsals will be held Monday through Thursday evenings and some additional rehearsals on weekends when closer to opening. Be prepared for cold readings from the sides at auditions. If you have any questions, please email
raisin@kentwoodplayers.org.
“A RAISIN IN THE SUN” is the groundbreaking play which starred Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeill, Ruby Dee and Diana Sands in the Broadway production which opened in 1959. Set on Chicago’s South Side, the plot revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and family matriarch Lena, called Mama. When her deceased husband’s insurance money comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood in Chicago. However, her son Walter Lee, a chauffeur, has other plans: buying a liquor store and being his own man while Beneatha dreams of attending medical school.
The tensions and prejudice they face form this seminal American drama, centering on sacrifice, trust and love among the Younger family and their heroic struggle to retain dignity in a harsh and changing world. The play is a searing and timeless document of hope and inspiration.
Character Breakdown
Walter Lee Younger: The protagonist of the play. Walter is a dreamer. He wants to be rich and devises plans to acquire wealth with his friends, particularly Willy Harris. When the play opens, he wants to invest his father’s insurance money in a new liquor store venture. He spends the rest of the play endlessly preoccupied with discovering a quick solution to his family’s various problems. (Mid 30’s)
Beneatha Younger (“Bennie”): Mama’s daughter and Walter’s sister. Beneatha is an intellectual. Twenty years old, she attends college and is better educated than the rest of the Younger family. Some of her personal beliefs and views have distanced her from conservative Mama. She dreams of being a doctor and struggles to determine her identity as a well-educated black woman. (Early 20’s)
Lena Younger (“Mama”): Walter and Beneatha’s mother. The matriarch of the family, Mama is religious, moral, and maternal. She wants to use her husband’s insurance money as a down payment on a house with a backyard to fulfill her dream for her family to move up in the world. (55-65)
Ruth Younger: Walter’s wife and Travis’s mother. Ruth takes care of the Youngers’ small apartment. Her marriage to Walter has problems, but she hopes to rekindle their love. She is about thirty, but her weariness makes her seem older. Constantly fighting poverty and domestic troubles, she continues to be an emotionally strong woman. Her almost pessimistic pragmatism helps her to survive. (Early-Mid 30’s)
Travis Younger: Walter and Ruth’s sheltered young son. Travis earns some money by carrying grocery bags and likes to play outside with other neighborhood children, but he has no bedroom and sleeps on the living-room sofa. (about 10)
Joseph Asagai: A Nigerian student in love with Beneatha. Asagai, as he is often called, is very proud of his African heritage, and Beneatha hopes to learn about her African heritage from him. He eventually proposes marriage to Beneatha and hopes she will return to Nigeria with him. (Mid 20’s – Early 30’s)
George Murchison: A wealthy, African-American man who courts Beneatha. The Youngers approve of George, but Beneatha dislikes his willingness to submit to white culture and forget his African heritage. He challenges the thoughts and feelings of other black people through his arrogance and flair for intellectual competition. (Early 30’s)
Mr. Karl Lindner: The only white character in the play. Mr. Lindner arrives at the Youngers’ apartment from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association. He offers the Youngers a deal to reconsider moving into his (all-white) neighborhood. (35-50)
Bobo: One of Walter’s partners in the liquor store plan. Bobo appears to be as mentally slow as his name indicates. (30-40)
Mrs. Johnson: The Youngers’ neighbor. Mrs. Johnson takes advantage of the Youngers’ hospitality and warns them about moving into a predominately white neighborhood. Nice cameo role. (40-60)
Moving Men/Crew: The 2 moving men appear at the end of the play to assist with the move. They will also work with the Stage Manager as members of the backstage crew. Great opportunity to become involved with the Kentwood Players. (age open)
For more information about Kentwood Players including our current production and upcoming auditions, please visit the Kentwood Players website at www.kentwoodplayers.org. You can also find Kentwood Players information on Facebook and Twitter.
To meet the “A RAISIN IN THE SUN” production team and learn more about Kentwood Players and what goes on at the Westchester Playhouse, the public is invited to attend our membership meetings, which are free and held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30pm at the Westchester Playhouse, located two blocks west of the San Diego Freeway and two blocks north of Manchester at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Westchester, CA 90045.
WHO: Kentwood Players will hold open auditions for Lorraine Hansberry’s classic family drama “A RAISIN IN THE SUN.” This is a non-equity, non-paid production directed by Harold Dershimer and produced by Kathy Dershimer by special arrangement with Samuel French.
WHAT: “A RAISIN IN THE SUN” is the groundbreaking play which starred Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeill, Ruby Dee and Diana Sands in the Broadway production which opened in 1959. Set on Chicago’s South Side, the plot revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and family matriarch Lena, called Mama. When her deceased husband’s insurance money comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood in Chicago. However, her son Walter Lee, a chauffeur, has other plans: buying a liquor store and being his own man while Beneatha dreams of attending medical school. The tensions and prejudice they face form this seminal American drama, centering on sacrifice, trust and love among the Younger family and their heroic struggle to retain dignity in a harsh and changing world. The play is a searing and timeless document of hope and inspiration.
WHEN: Auditions take place on Saturday November 14, 2015 from 12:00-4:00pm and on Sunday, November 15 from 6:00-9:00pm. Callbacks, if needed, will be Monday, November 16 at 7:00pm. Performance dates are September 11 to October 17, 2015 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm.
WHERE: Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Avenue, Westchester, CA 90045.
HOW: Those auditioning should allow time to sign-in and complete paperwork. Please bring a current headshot and resume with you as well as your calendar. A rehearsal schedule will be posted at auditions and you will be asked to note any conflicts. Typically, rehearsals will be held Monday through Thursday evenings and some additional rehearsals on weekends when closer to opening. Be prepared for cold readings from the sides at auditions. If you have any questions, please email
raisin@kentwoodplayers.org. A full character breakdown can be found at
www.kentwoodplayers.org.
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