A RAISIN IN THE SUN at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre “Hits Home”

The first play by a Black woman produced on Broadway, A RAISIN IN THE SUN follows as the Younger family pursues their dreams of entrepreneurship, education, family, and homeownership. RAISIN pulls from playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s personal experience: her father Carl was the named plaintiff in the Supreme Court case Hansberry v. Lee, which challenged racial housing covenants.

The play also “hits home” for members of the primarily-local cast, says Paulina Lule (Ruth Younger). “My father and stepmother purchased a house in Wauwatosa. Moving into that area and being the only Black family on the block—to this day—meeting lovely people and also running into things that the Youngers are warned about, that aspect really struck home to me.”

“I know this woman,” says Olivia Dawson (Lena Younger). “I want to honor the Big Mamas that have gone before me. I’m from Joliet, Illinois, and we used to go into Chicago, on the South Side, to visit my aunts. So I just want to honor my family through my performance.”

“Walter Lee is one of the most complex characters I’ve ever played,” says Dimonte Henning (Walter Lee Younger). The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel raves, “Henning, one of Milwaukee’s most visceral actors, brings his A game… truly gripping.”

A RAISIN IN THE SUN, presented by Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, plays through May 24 at the Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre. Tickets available at www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org or 414-291-7800. Adult tickets start at $30. Use code HANSBERRY for an additional 20% off. Students and artists $15 (use code STUDENT15).