BWW Reviews: A RAISIN IN THE SUN at the Arden Is a Dream Not Deferred

In perhaps a piece of inverted scheduling, last season Arden Theatre Company performed a fine production of CLYBOURNE PARK, which is currently popular, leading to the decision to produce, this year, the original work that inspired that play, Lorraine Hansberry's A RAISIN IN THE SUN. Directed by Walter Dallas, past artistic director of Freedom Theatre, this is a notable production well worth seeing (which accounts for its deserved extension until April 21.)

Although the show is a classic of American theatre and a staple performed every year somewhere in the country, it is not as popularly known that it is based on Hansberry's own family experiences in an effort to buy a home located in a neighborhood with restrictive covenants, well before the current fair housing laws.

In 1959, A RAISIN IN THE SUN was considered a risky proposition - an all-African-American cast (save for one minor white character), the first play by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway. Now that it is produced everywhere, the only risk is that the production does not do the excellent script justice - which is hardly a risk here. The cast, a few of whom have worked with director Dallas before, is uniformly excellent. U.R., as Walter Lee Younger, is the epitomal man who cannot catch a break, and who will do anything to try to force one, even stealing from his family - and even that fails for him. Nikki E. Walker as Ruth Younger is his harried wife, watching her husband's dreams die and her marriage with it. Fortunately, she has the support of her mother-in-law, the de facto head of the family, Lena Younger, played with strength and dignity by Joilet F. Harris.

Walter's dreams and failures begin to impact his sister, Beneatha, played by Jaleesa Capri with all the fire required to show that Bennie's dreams, unlike Walter's, are not dying, and one of those dreams is to become a doctor. One of them is definitely not to marry the rich but shallow George Murchison (played convincingly by Peterson Townsend). Thanks to the attentions of African fellow student Joseph Asagai (Sekun Akande, in a marvelous performance), who enlightens her about conditions in Africa, Bennie does begin to dream of African cultural involvement and de-assimilating into white culture - she stops processing her hair, learns African dance, and studies African politics under his guidance, making her even more dissatisfied with Murchison's narrow world view. It's clear that Murchison sees her as arm candy, while Asagai cares about her thoughts and ideas, encouraging her ambitions.

A life insurance check, proceeds for Lena's husband's death, instigates new problems for the family. It could be a business investment for Walter, which could save his marriage. It could pay for Bennie's medical school costs. Lena believes that it could be used best to buy the entire family a larger home, and the most reasonably priced one she can find is in an all-white neighborhood, Clybourne Park. As those three goals meet each other head-on and clash, culminating in Walter's making disastrous decisions and white community association leaders showing up at their door (Leonard C. Haas gives a fine performance as a nervous neighborhood leader trying to keep Blacks out of his territory), the family must decide how it is to survive financially and emotionally.

Additional fine performances come from Kash Goins, playing Walter's naïve business partner, Bobo, and from Yannick Haynes playing Travis, Walter and Ruth's young son. Haynes is an Arden student, and his performance speaks volumes for the quality of its youth programs.

Dallas' direction is tight and the pacing is exactly what's called for in this show. This show explodes on stage, but not, as Langston Hughes wrote, as a dream deferred. Instead, this production is a dream realized.

Do not miss the humor of the first act, or the brilliant turn between Walter and Lena at the end of the second act, which features some notable acting.

By all means, catch this production if you can, on stage at the Arden until April 21. Call the Arden box office at 215-922-1122, or visit ardentheatre.org for tickets.

Photo Credit: Mark Garvin

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