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A Raisin In The Sun From the Artistic Directors I am delighted to welcome you to the McGuire Proscenium
Stage for this Penumbra Theatre production of Lorraine
Hansberry's masterpiece, A Raisin in the Sun. When we
came to choose the writers to be represented in the large
photographs outside the new Guthrie, Ms. Hansberry was an
obvious choice. A great American writer, whose seminal work
has entertained and thrilled audiences since its first Broadway
presentation 50 years ago, she is a fitting companion for the
other great playwrights watching over our new theater. This is the
first time her work has been presented at the Guthrie, and it is
absolutely fitting that we should welcome Lou Bellamy and the
Penumbra Theatre cast with this anniversary production.
I hope that you enjoy the show.
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 50th anniversary production of A Raisin in the Sun. This timeless classic is still a relevant and poignant portrait of the American dream. Today we celebrate how wide that dream has grown. We now have a black family living in the White House - the house that novelist Ralph Ellison once suggested was painted with the "purest white that can be found," a specifically American brand of paint that gleamed so brilliantly white only after ten drops of black had been added to it and stirred until they disappeared. Now more than ever black Americans are visible and undeniably part of the nation's fabric. It seems apt to honor the struggle with this brave and important play. Fifty years ago, Lorraine Hansberry offered the American theater going public the unique opportunity to see a loving representation of a black family onstage. Believe it or not, this was a revolutionary act. Hansberry directly challenged the assortment of stereotypes about black life and culture to which American audiences had grown accustomed with complex, three dimensional characters.
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© 2010 Penumbra Theatre
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The Penumbra Theatre is a jewel in the crown of this
community and, increasingly, becoming a vital part of the national
theater scene. The Twin Cities are fortunate to have the skill
and dedication of Lou Bellamy, whose work for over a quarter
of a century has offered his audience a unique insight into the
literature of African American culture. We have been honored
to present the work of Penumbra a number of times since Lou
first directed here with Big White Fog in 1994. Last year, with
the production of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean, we began
a relationship between our two theaters that, hopefully, will
continue for many years to come. Working together, we have the
chance to expand our horizons and to off er you, our audience, a
range of theatrical experiences
that deepen the understanding
of the world around us.
Hansberry died before the struggles of the Civil Rights
Movement could come to fruition; many of us would argue that
the struggle continues today. Her role in that struggle, however,
was profoundly important. What she created for the stage was
an opportunity for hearts
and minds to be opened and
affirmed. It was a precious
gift indeed.
