AUTHOR: Lorraine Hansberry
PUBLISHED: 1959
CATEGORY: Play
GENRE: Realistic Fiction/Family Drama
PREMISE: In Chicago, a family during the forties live out their lives...
MY THOUGHTS: I'm still very new to this reading a play thing. But I am very quickly growing to like it. Play reading is very quick and if the play is damn good, like this one is, it can pack a powerful punch in just under two hundred or so pages. Sometimes even more punch then a novel can. This particular edition I got from the library talked about some of the history of Raisin in the Sun and I wish I could be shocked that apparently there were productions where people white-washed a play that is basically about being black in America, but I've learned to never underestimate people's ability to white-wash something.
One thing that quickly struck me is that despite the fact that this was written over fifty years ago, it's still relevant. In fact, I kind of want them to do a revival of it on Broadway. I have a feeling it would resonate with people like whoa. I bet you could do a modern adaptation of it and not have to lose much because many of the topics are still relevant. Which is both amazing...and sad, especially where the racism part is concerned.
If you're a fan of plays, or are just getting into them, absolutely pick this one up. It's a good beginner play and gives you lots to think about and digest.
WHO SHOULD READ: James Baldwin fans, theater nerds
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