Groundbreaking 'Raisin in the Sun' comes to New Brunswick

"This play is our Shakespeare, and the protagonist Walter Lee is our Hamlet," said Marshall Jones III, executive director of Crossroads Theatre Company which is producing "A Raisin in the Sun."

Lorraine Hansberry's landmark drama of an African American family in the 1950s makes its first appearance on the stage of Crossroads in a new production, April 14 through May 1.

The American stage classic, the groundbreaking portrayal of the African American experience cemented Hansberry's place among the literary giants of theater. It debuted on Broadway in 1959 and quickly became required reading in schools across the country.

A Raisin in the Sun is "as relevant today as it was in the 1950s," says Jones, "as evidenced by a changed response to the Muslim community post-9/11."

In their South-side Chicago apartment, each member of the Younger family envisions the American dream differently in their struggle for a better life. When opportunity, in the form of a life insurance windfall, promises both hope and uncertainty, they face choices and inevitable disappointment for some of their dreams: to buy a house; to invest in a business; to attend medical school. An unexpected family change threatens to derail the family's dreams altogether.

A Raisin in the Sun has some of its roots in the true story of a lawsuit filed by the playwright's father, in collaboration with the NAACP, against mortgage covenants that banned blacks from a suburban neighborhood. The Hansberry family endured years of racial slurs and threats while the suit was in progress.

Directing A Raisin in the Sun is Eric Ruffin, whose most recent directing credits include Old Settler for The African Continuum Theatre Company, Gutta Beautiful at New Federal Theatre, and New Kid for Imagination Stage. Ruffin holds an MFA in directing from Rutgers' Mason Gross School of the Arts and was a protégé of the late Hal Scott, chair of the Mason Gross directing program.

The cast features Petronia Paley ("Another World") as Mama, Jimonn Cole (The Acting Company) as Walter Lee, Chantal Jean-Pierre (Sheila's Day) as Ruth; Vichelle Jones as Beneatha, Gregory Barnes as Travis, Andy Prosky as Lindner, Irungu Mutu as Asagai, and Johnny Ramey as George.

Crossroads Theatre Company was founded in 1978 by Ricardo Khan and L. Kenneth Richardson with the vision that African-American theater is intended for a broad based diverse audience. As a major force in the development of new ideas and the introduction of formerly marginalized writers, Crossroads produces works that enrich and diversify the representation of African American culture on the American stage. Crossroads has produced more than 40 world premieres and received the Tony Award® in 1999 for Outstanding Regional Theatre in the United States.

Contact the box office at (732)545-8100, or visit www.crossroadstheatrecompany.org, for tickets or more information.