Displaying items by tag: A Raisin in the Sun

Court Theatre – under the continuing leadership of Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, with interim artistic leadership from Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent and Senior Managing Producer Heidi Thompson Saunders – is thrilled to present Lorraine Hansberry's masterpiece A Raisin in the Sun, New York Drama Critics Award winner, Tony Award nominee for Best Play, and the first play written by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway. This production will run January 31 – March 2, 2025 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. The press opening is Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 7:30pm. 

Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a stunning portrayal of a family's fight for dignity and the right to dream. As the Youngers await their recently deceased patriarch's life insurance check, they allow themselves to imagine a bigger life – a life with room to breathe – until those plans are thrown into jeopardy. Hansberry's language rings as wise and prescient as ever in her moving answer to Langston Hughes's question, What happens to a dream deferred?

Staged sixty years after Lorraine Hansberry's passing, Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent (Antigone) brings Hansberry's masterpiece home to Chicago's vibrant South Side and Court's stage for the very first time.

The cast of A Raisin in the Sun includes Shanésia Davis (Lena Younger/Mama); Brian Keys (Walter Lee Younger); Kierra Bunch (Ruth Younger); Martasia Jones (Beneatha Younger); Jeremias Darville (Travis Younger); Di'Aire Wilson (Travis Younger, alternating); Eliott Johnson (Joseph Asagai); Charles Andrew Gardner (George Murchison); Julian Parker (Bobo); Vincent Teninty (Karl Lindner); and J. Nicole Brooks (Mrs. Johnson).

The creative team includes Andrew Boyce (scenic design); Raquel Adorno, with Associate Jeanette Rodriguez (costume design); Maximo Grano De Oro (lighting design); Willow James (sound design); Khalid Long, PhD (production dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA, with Associate Celeste M. Cooper (casting); Kate Ocker (production stage manager); and Jaclynn Joslin (assistant stage manager).

"Court Theatre's A Raisin in the Sun really is a homecoming," shares Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent. "This is a play about the South Side of Chicago – not just in the 1950s, but the South Side of Chicago that began at the dawn of the Great Migration and continues to live with us today. It's about people who came from far away and arrived in Chicago with hope for a better life – a life of their own choosing. A personal touchstone for many, we want to create numerous points of connection to this staging of Raisin, so we are also featuring a collection of public programs to foster even deeper engagement. We cannot wait to share this production and programming with you."

Accompanying this production of A Raisin in the Sun is a suite of public programs, including:

• Community Reads Series:Comprised of a social gathering, a book club, and a post-show discussion, the Community Reads Series offers opportunities to come together to discuss themes within A Raisin in the Sun, its inspiration, and its importance to the South Side. The Community Reads Social will be held on January 27, 2025 at the Blackstone Branch of the Chicago Public Library; the Community Reads Book Club will be held on February 26, 2025 at the Blackstone Branch of the Chicago Public Library; and the Community Reads Conversation will be held on March 1, 2025 at Court Theatre. Presented in partnership with Chicago Public Library at the Blackstone Branch.
• Agora: A Dream Deferred – Black Mobility and Housing:Join Court Theatre and the National Public Housing Museum for an evening of art, exploration, and conversation about the history of housing injustice. This event will be held on February 13, 2025 at the National Public Housing Museum, featuring Dr. Lisa Yun Lee; Robin Bartram, PhD; Adrienne Brown; Philip Garboden, PhD; and Sandra Jackson-Opoku. Presented in partnership with the National Public Housing Museum.
• Let's Talk About Art:Court Theatre joins the Let's Talk About Art series, Hyde Park Art Center's innovative hybrid learning program for older adults (65+), where participants explore visual and performing arts and create their own art inspired by performances they attend. This installation of the Let's Talk About Art series will be in response to A Raisin in the Sun. This series will take place from February 17, 2025 through February 20, 2025. Sessions will be conducted virtually, at Hyde Park Art Center, and at Court Theatre. Presented in partnership with the Hyde Park Art Center.
• BushmanScreening and Lecture: Join Court Theatre for a film screening of Bushman (1971), in partnership with the University of Chicago Film Studies Center to investigate the role of Pan-Africanism in A Raisin in the Sun, and how it informs Lorraine Hansberry's work, more broadly. This screening and lecture will be held at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts on February 21, 2025, featuring remarks from Antawan I. Byrd, PhD. Presented in partnership with the University of Chicago's Film Studies Center.

Tickets to A Raisin in the Sun and related events are available now by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472 or online at CourtTheatre.org.

About the Artists

LORRAINE HANSBERRY (Playwright, 1930-1965) is an American playwright, poet, activist, and writer from the South Side of Chicago. She was the daughter of a real estate entrepreneur, Carl Hansberry, and schoolteacher, Nannie Hansberry, as well as the niece of Pan-Africanist scholar and college professor Leo Hansberry. Her own family's landmark court case against discriminatory real estate covenants in Chicago would serve as inspiration for her foundational Broadway play, A Raisin in the Sun. Raisin, her best-known work, would eventually become a highly lauded film starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, and Diana Sands. Other works include (but are not limited to) To Be Young, Gifted and Black; Les Blancs; and The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window. During her career as a playwright, Hansberry wrote many articles and essays on literary criticism, racism, sexism, homophobia, world peace, and other social and political issues.

GABRIELLE RANDLE-BENT (Director, Senior Artistic Producer) has directed Antigone; The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice (co-directed with Charles Newell); and The Island at Court Theatre; 1919 (Steppenwolf Theatre); and The Year of Magical Thinking (Remy Bumppo Theatre). She is a co-founder of the Civic Actor Studio, a leadership program of the University of Chicago's Office of Civic Engagement.

J. NICOLE BROOKS (Mrs. Johnson) is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist whose practice includes acting, writing, directing, and movement direction. Brooks is an ensemble member and Mellon Playwright in Residence at Lookingglass Theatre Company. Selected stage credits include Lottery Day (Goodman), Beyond Caring (Lookingglass), Immediate Family (Mark Taper Forum), Phèdre and La Bête (Court). Stage writing credits include Her Honor Jane Byrne (Lookingglass), 1919 (Steppenwolf), and HeLa (Sideshow Theatre Company). Television and film credits include guest and recurring roles on Chicago Fire, Emperor of Ocean Park, South Side, Fargo, and Candyman (Say My Name).

KIERRA BUNCH (Ruth Younger) is excited to join the cast of A Raisin in the Sun at Court. She was recently seen in August Wilson's Seven Guitars at Cincinnati Playhouse/Milwaukee Rep Tour, Chicago Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, Court's Two Trains Running, Definition Theatre's White, and Windy City Playhouse's production of Recipe For Disaster. Film/TV credits include The Chi, South Side, Shameless, Chicago Med, and Empire, as well as a series regular role on the Emmy Award-winning children's television show Green Screen Adventures. Kierra is proudly represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.

JEREMIAS DARVILLE (Travis Younger) is excited to be making his Court Theatre debut! He began his professional journey at a young age, having most recently co-starred in Chicago Fire. Additionally, Jeremias has been featured in numerous commercials and print campaigns. Outside of his busy career, he has a second-degree black belt in MMA, loves playing travel baseball, and plays the piano.

SHANÉSIA DAVIS (Lena Younger/Mama) is excited to return to Court Theatre. Her last appearance was in Native Son. Additional credits include works at Steppenwolf, Northlight, Porchlight, Goodman, and Congo Square, among others. She is a recipient of a Black Theatre Alliance Award, several Jeff nominations (most recently for Fences), and is an NAACP Image Award nominee. Select television credits include Chicago Stories: Ida B. Wells, Lovecraft Country, The Chi, Proven Innocent, Empire, Chicago Fire, and a series regular role on Early Edition. Shanésia is a published author/editor of Nine Questions Every Actor of Color..., and is a proud member of Equity and SAG/AFTRA unions.

CHARLES ANDREW GARDNER (George Murchison) is ecstatic to be making his Court Theatre debut! Recent Chicago theatre credits include Primary Trust, Objects in the Mirror, Stop.Reset. and Buzzer (Goodman); Boulevard of Bold Dreams, Kill Move Paradise, Paradise Blue, and My Kind of Town (TimeLine). Other Chicago credits: Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, and 16th Street. TV credits: Mayor of Kingstown; Somebody Somewhere; The Chi; Chicago Med; and Chicago P.D. Film credits: Heist 88, Olympia, and Long Ride Home. Charles is the SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local President, a Company Member with TimeLine Theatre Company, a DePaul University professor, and owner/CEO of The Actor's Cup LLC and Stay Creative Clothing. @CharlesAndrewGardner.

ELIOTT JOHNSON (Joseph Asagai) is excited to make his Court Theatre debut in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Chicago area credits include The Little Foxes (Citadel Theatre) and A Solider's Heart (ClockWise Theatre). Off-Broadway: Othello (New Place Players). Regional: the Midwest premiere of Lombardi. Television credits include Chicago Fire, Empire, The Chi, and Swipe. Eliott holds his MFA From Pace University and is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio. Eliott is represented by Stewart Talent and Stein Entertainment.

MARTASIA JONES (Beneatha Younger) was born and raised in Chicago, and is an alumna of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Select regional theatre credits include Winter (Rivendell), Megastasis (Eclipse), Hoodoo Love (Raven), America V. 2.1: The Demise and Eventual Distinction of the American Negro and Fairview (Definition). Martasia has done print/commercial work for Walgreens Health & Wellness and Glidden Paint, and voiceovers for Lunchables and McDonald's. She worked on the Spike Lee joint Chi-Raq and has guest-starred on Chicago Med and The CW's 4400.

BRIAN KEYS (Walter Lee Younger) is an actor who hails from Chicago's South Side Englewood neighborhood. Court: Seven Guitars. Awards: Jeff Award, two BTAA Awards. Brian dedicates each and every performance to the memory of his mother, Beatrice Keys, and grandmother, Corine Keys. For a complete listing of theatre, television, and film credits, please visit www.iambriankeys.com.

JULIAN PARKER (Bobo) was most recently seen at Court Theatre in Antigone, directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent. Select Chicago credits: Pass Over, The Gospel of Franklin (Steppenwolf); An Octoroon, Genesis (Definition); Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare); Hamlet, Julius Caesar (Writers); Prowess (Jackalope); The Hairy Ape (Jeff Award–Performer in a Principal Role, Oracle Productions); and others. Film: Pass Over (directed by Spike Lee), Devonte, Swing Shift. Television: 61st Street, The Chi, Chicago P.D., and others. Education: BFA, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Parker is a co-founding member of Definition Theatre Company. Represented by Stewart Talent Agency and Authentic Talent Management.

VINCENT TENINTY (Karl Lindner) is honored to be making his Court Theatre debut! He has been acting in the Chicago area since 1999 and some of his credits include Mother Courage and Her Children and A Lesson Before Dying (Steppenwolf); Sweet Bird of Youth and Talking Pictures (Goodman); The Rainmaker (American Blues). Regional theatre credits include Soup, Stews, and Casseroles: 1976 (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); A Streetcar Named Desire and Hairspray (Cardinal Stage); The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, The Royale, Detroit, and Violet (TheatreSquared). His television credits include Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Justice, Lovecraft Country, Shameless, The Beast, and BOSS.

DI'AIRE WILSON (Travis Younger, alternating) discovered his passion for acting at a young age and has since performed in productions like The Factotum (Lyric Opera) and Pippin (Music Theater Works). His growing career includes appearances in commercials, short films, and web series. Outside of acting, Di'Aire participates in football, basketball, and bowling.

Fact Sheet / A Raisin in the Sun

Title:                 A Raisin in the Sun

By:                   Lorraine Hansberry

Directed by:     Gabrielle Randle-Bent, Senior Artistic Producer

Featuring: Shanésia Davis (Lena Younger/Mama); Brian Keys (Walter Lee Younger); Kierra Bunch (Ruth Younger); Martasia Jones (Beneatha Younger); Jeremias Darville (Travis Younger); Di'Aire Wilson (Travis Younger, alternating); Eliott Johnson (Joseph Asagai); Charles Andrew Gardner (George Murchison); Julian Parker (Bobo); Vincent Teninty (Karl Lindner); and J. Nicole Brooks (Mrs. Johnson).

Creatives: Andrew Boyce (scenic design); Raquel Adorno, with Associate Jeanette Rodriguez (costume design); Maximo Grano De Oro (lighting design); Willow James (sound design); Khalid Long, PhD (production dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA, with Associate Celeste M. Cooper (casting); Kate Ocker (production stage manager); and Jaclynn Joslin (assistant stage manager).

Dates:             

Previews:                    January 31 – February 7, 2025

Press Opening:          February 8, 2025 at 7:30pm

Regular Run:               February 9 – March 2, 2025

Schedule:        

Wed/Thurs/Fri:           7:30 p.m.

Sat/Sun:                     2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Accessible Performances:        

ASL Interpretation on March 1, 2025 at 12:30pm

Touch Tour on March 2, 2025 at 12:30pm

Audio Description and Open Captioning on March 2, 2025 at 2:00pm

Location:         Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Tickets:          

$42.00 – $82.00 Previews

$58.00 – $90.00 Regular Run

Student, group, and military discounts available

Box Office:      Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.

A Raisin in the Sun is sponsored by Gustavo Bamberger and Martha Van Haitsma, Bel Brands USA, Mesirow, and the Marion M. Lloyd Court Theatre Fund. A Raisin in the Sun is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.

Court Theatre will be participating in the 2025 Chicago Theatre Week by offering discounted tickets to A Raisin in the Sun. Chicago Theatre Week is an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago. As a program of the League of Chicago Theatres, in partnership with Choose Chicago, CTW is in its 13th year and will take place February 6 – 16. Learn more at CourtTheatre.org.

Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago's historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people.