Kenny Leon’s revival of A Raisin in the Sun opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre April 3, 2014. The production played 27 previews and 85 performances before closing June 15, 2014, earning five Tony Award nominations and winning three, including Best Revival of a Play.
Written by Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of Walter Younger and his mother, Lena, who both yearn to move their family out of Chicago's Southside ghetto. When Lena's late husband's insurance check arrives, Lena hopes to use it to buy a house in a white neighborhood — while Walter hopes to invest it in a liquor business. The landmark drama, which premiered in 1959, was one of the first on Broadway to examine African-American life on the cusp of the civil rights era.
The production starred Denzel Washington as Walter Lee Youngers, LaTanya Richardson Jackson as Lena Younger, Sophie Okonedo as Ruth Younger, Anika Noni Rose as Beneatha Younger, Stephen McKinley Henderson as Bob, David Cromer as Karl Lindner, Bryce Clyde Jenkins, as Travis Younger, Jason Dirden as George Murchison, Sean Patrick Thomas as Joseph Asagai, Keith Eric Chappelle and Billy Eugene Jones as the Moving Men.
A Raisin in the Sun featured set design by Mark Thompson, costume design by Ann Roth, lighting design by Brian MacDeth, and sound design by Scott Lehrer.
