A Raisin in the Sun is the “Best Show of the Young Year”
A Raisin in the Sun is a masterwork of American realism set on the South Side of Chicago. This production, staged just a few blocks from where it’s set, has been a tremendous homecoming. Audience demand has been unprecedented, and critics are awestruck by Lorraine Hansberry’s stunning portrayal of a family’s fight for dignity and the right to dream. Check out some of the reviews below.
Now extended through Sunday, March 9, performances are filling up fast – get your tickets before they’re gone! Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472.
“Best show of the young year here so far, a richly staged, moving and superbly cast, designed, and acted rendition of an incomparably precious work to Chicago. It’s not to be missed, even if you think you already know the play.“
— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, ★★★★ (of four)
“More poignant than ever…proves to us that hope can indeed be more than enough to replenish the heart in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. And that is exactly what we need in times like this.”
— Chicago Reader, Reader Recommended
“Director and Court senior artistic producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent has assembled a first-class ensemble cast, with such extraordinary chemistry that you really buy that this is a close family…A Raisin in the Sun still packs a wallop.“
“Hansberry’s words fire and crackle as the Youngers navigate their own familial clashes and those of the world at large….A Raisin in the Sun remains a foundational classic structured in the past and a piece that reflects the state of the world today.”
“Gabrielle Randle-Brent’s cast is simply exceptional; there isn’t a false note among this talented ensemble…This is a production that would, I’m sure, have made Lorraine Hansberry proud.”
“In their production of A Raisin in the Sun, [Court Theatre] has delivered magnificently on Lorraine Hansberry’s critique of the American Dream….Court Theatre has produced a triumph of the monumental sort. To say less is to belittle the magnificence of the collaboration behind A Raisin in the Sun. Whatever your familiarity with Lorraine Hansberry’s important play, this is the kind of production that reinforces theatre’s ability to speak from the then-and-there to the here-and-now, and beyond.”
“Randle-Bent’s direction blooms from the staging and finds expression in a cast that is unafraid to play the depths of the family’s pain and conflict, but also find its humor, joy, and solidarity with ease.”
“A new artistic standard for this enduring American classic and the show to see now in Chicago.”
“It’s amazing to see how much Hansberry had the foresight to bring up issues in her monumental play that are still very much in direct dialogue African-American communities of today. The Court Theatre’s strong take on A Raisin in the Sun is a powerful and timely reminder of this.”
“The play reverberates with an unquestionable intensity with enduring values of family, the relentless pursuit of the American Dream, and the courageous fight against discrimination, the play’s most profound message is that we all have the same dreams”
— Let’s Play Theatrical Reviews
—I saw Raisin In the Sun at the Court Theater yesterday, Saturday March 15. My plaudits to the cast, the director and production staff and everyone who made it possible.
—I’ve been waiting a long time to see another live performance and really enjoyed this one. I had seen two stage performances previously and I’ve seen three movie versions.
—The story itself is difficult to watch. I have many thoughts developed over the years. In short my view is that the family lacks order and family members treat each other very poorly which greatly accentuates their problems. I have many examples—too many list here. I will cite a few. The family’s odd discomfort with and resistance to talking about how to use the insurance money—no family talk about moving to a larger place with at least one private bathroom; no family talk about alternative business ideas more acceptable than a liquor store—laundromat, floral shop, shoe store, barbershop; Beneatha’s self indulgent wasteful spending and mocking of her brother despite having no independent source of income; Walter and Ruth not pursuing better paying jobs in Chicago the second largest industrial economy in the nation. Walter a family man ever trusting someone like Willie Harris who despite being middle aged had no family or community ties and thus as we find out could skip town.
—One suggestion I have regards the Court theatre choosing Chaka Khan’s Sweet Thing as the music for Walter and Ruth’s brief dance when they are teased by Benetha as being old fashioned negroes. Sweet Thing is from 1975. The play is set in the 1950s. My suggestion would be Only You by the Platters from 1959.
Thoughtful observations of the characters, Mel Thomas.