Anna Jani

Staff Writer

Lorraine Hansberry’s classic story, A Raisin in the Sun, a play written and set in 1950s Chicago, exposes the racial tension and societal issues blacks and people of color faced during this time throughout the United States. The play focuses on the lives of one black family and the struggles they face because of the color of their skin, from impoverished living conditions to lack of career opportunities. The sophomore class this year read A Raisin in the Sun in their English classes and had the opportunity to witness the play live at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport on February 14, 2018.

Many students praised the acting and how well the actors became their character. Sophomore Logan Stafford says, “I thought that [the play] was paced very well. It had moments of pure silence where you could just feel the tension with not a word spoken. The costumes looked amazing, too.” Sophomore Kelsey Jamieson evaluated the plot of the play and says, “I liked when they [the characters] got their dream: their house. But, I didn’t like when the brother stole his sister’s money to buy the liquor store and then lost it.”

            Even though some sophomore students do not consider themselves “theatre enthusiasts,” it is certain that the majority, if not all of the students who attended A Raisin in the Sun at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre enjoyed the local performance of the book they read and analyzed in their English classes.