A Raisin in the Sun
Attend:
| Free with general admission |
*General museum admission is FREE for residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.
Location:
Lecture Hall
5200 Woodward Ave
Detroit, MI 48202
United States
(USA/1961—directed by Daniel Petrie)
When Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun premiered on Broadway in 1959 it was the first written by a Black woman, and the first with a Black director and cast nominated for Best Play, Best Actor (Sidney Poitier), Best Actress (Claudia McNeil), and Best Director (Lloyd Roberts) at that year’s Tony Awards®.
A film adaptation followed quickly, with several key members of the original cast reprising their roles, including McNeil as the matriarch of the close-knit Younger family and Poitier as her married son. Combined with supporting performances from Ruby Dee, Lou Gossett, and Ivan Dixon, this brilliant ensemble captured the struggle of Black families to nurture dreams for the future at the same time they are being forced to the edges of American society. (128 min.)
“There are times it seems as if every member of the cast is striving for an Oscar and coming near to copping it.” —Marjory Adams, The Boston Globe, 1961
This program is part of a companion series of film and music events presented in celebration of Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971, on view at the Detroit Institute of Arts Feb. 4–June 23, 2024. Regeneration is organized by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
(USA/1961—directed by Daniel Petrie)
When Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun premiered on Broadway in 1959 it was the first written by a Black woman, and the first with a Black director and cast nominated for Best Play, Best Actor (Sidney Poitier), Best Actress (Claudia McNeil), and Best Director (Lloyd Roberts) at that year’s Tony Awards®.
A film adaptation followed quickly, with several key members of the original cast reprising their roles, including McNeil as the matriarch of the close-knit Younger family and Poitier as her married son. Combined with supporting performances from Ruby Dee, Lou Gossett, and Ivan Dixon, this brilliant ensemble captured the struggle of Black families to nurture dreams for the future at the same time they are being forced to the edges of American society. (128 min.)
“There are times it seems as if every member of the cast is striving for an Oscar and coming near to copping it.” —Marjory Adams, The Boston Globe, 1961
This program is part of a companion series of film and music events presented in celebration of Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971, on view at the Detroit Institute of Arts Feb. 4–June 23, 2024. Regeneration is organized by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.