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The Theatre: 'A Raisin in the Sun'

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The Theatre: 'A Raisin in the Sun' 24 3/13/U59 The New York Times TH The Theatre: 'A Raisin in the Sun' Negro Drama Given at Ethel Barrymore By BROOKS ATKINSON N "A Raisin in the Sun," I which opened at the Ethel Barrymore Wednesday eve­ ning, Lorraine Hansberry touches on some serious prob­ lems. No doubt, her feelings about them are as strong as any one's. But she has not tipped her play to prove one thing or another. The play is honest. She has told the inner as well as the outer truth about a Negro family in the South Side of Chicago at the pres­ ent time. Since the perform­ ance is also honest and since Siqney Poitier is a candid actor, "A Raisin in the Sun" has vigor as well as veracity and is likely to destroy the complacency of any one who sees it, • Sidney Poitier and Claudia MeN eil as they appear in The family consists of a play by Lorraine Hansberry, "A · Raisin in the Sun." firm-minded widow, her daughter, her restless son and his wife and son. The The Cast quiet, sagacious student from mother has brought up her A RAISIN IN THE SUN, a. drama by Nigeria; Ruby Dee's young family in a tenement that is ~~h~~~~ : H~~:~e'gf:ci ~~:'1ht~~ L~';is~ wife burdened with problems; · small, battered but person­ 0 Louis Gossett's supercilious ft~g ti~g~v~~ ~8.Ip~ ~1~~v a~~~n~~~tu~~~ suitor; Johri Fiedler's timid able. All the mother wants by Vir g tni~ Volland: production stage white man, who speaks sanc­ is that her children adhere to ~th~~ g ~&rr~~~r~r\h~~ii~ach. At the the code of honor and self­ Ruth Younger . ... .. ... Ruby Dee timonious platitudes-bring Travis Younger . ....... Gl ynn Tu rman variety and excitement to a respect that she inherited Walter Le e Youn ger . Sidney Poitier from her parents. Beneatha Younger . .. Diana sands first-rate performance. Le na Younger .. ... ... Claudia McNeil All the crises and com1c se-· The son is dreaming of ·.·. ·.·. ·.· .·. success in a business deal. And ~~~erg~ ~~;~ktSOil. L ci ~lsan c~~~a quences take place inside the daughter, who is race• ~~?.? · Lindner ·: :: :: : : : :: :~ro~~ E~~:~~;~ Ralph Alswang's set, which conscious, wants to become a Moving Men . ... Ed Hall. Douglas Turner depicts both the poverty and physician and heal the wounds the taste of the family. Like , of her people. After a long McNeil gives " a heroic per­ the play, it is honest. That is delay the widow receives formance. A!tp.ough the char­ Miss Hansberry's personal $10,000 as the premium on her acter is simple, Miss McNeil contribution to an explosive husband's life insurance. The gives it nobility of spirit. situation in which simple money projects the family Diana Sands' amusing por­ honesty is the most difficult trait of the overintellectual­ thing in the world. And also into a series of situations that ized daughter; Ivan Dixon's test their individual char­ the most illuminating, acters. What till! sitl_lations are does not matter af the mo­ ~· -------------------------------~ ment. For "A Raisin in the Sun" is a play about human beings who want, on the one hand, to preserve their family pride and, on the other hand, to break out of the poverty that seems to be their fate. Not having any axe to grind, Miss Hansberry has a wide range of topics to write about -o:;ome of them . hilarious, 1:10me of them painful in the ~xtreme. • You might, in fact, regard "A Raisin in the Sun" as a Negro "The Cherry Orchard." Although the social scale of the characters is different, the lmowledge of how character is controlled by environment is much the same, and the alternation of humor and pathos is similar. If there are occasional crudi­ ~~s in the craftsmanship, they ~re redeemed by the honesty f!t the writing. And also by Lne rousing honesty of the stage work. For Lloyd Rich­ ards has selected an admir­ able cast and directed a bold and stirring performance. Mr. Poitier is a remarkable actor with enormous power that is always under control. Cast as the restless son, he vividly communicates the tu­ mult of a high-strung young man. He is as eloquent when he has nothing to say as when he has a pungent line to speak. He can convey devious pro­ cesses of thought as graph­ ically as he can clown and dance. As the matriarch, Claudia .
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