“=’You want to do what!?’ Family squabbles play out in Theatre Calgary’s new production

In his poem Harlem, Langston Hughes asks: “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up, like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore — and then run?”

From that poem came the title for Lorraine Hansberry’s famous play, A Raisin in the Sun, which opened on Broadway in 1959 and was the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway.

A Raisin in the Sun will also be the first play of Theatre Calgary’s new season. (It’s a co-production with Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre.) Set in 1950s Chicago, the play tells the story of a black working-class family: Lena Younger (“Mama”), her daughter Beneatha, her son Walter and his wife Ruth, and their son Travis. The patriarch of the family, Mama’s husband, has recently passed away, leaving $10,000 to the family, along with the task of deciding what to do with it.

“Because of the political context of the times, there’s a lot at stake with the choices,” explains Toronto-based Weyni Mengesha, who directs the play. Mama wants to fulfil her long-held dream of buying the best house they can afford, but that would put them in a white neighbourhood.

“There’s a lot of racial tension in Chicago and, because of that, the younger generation doesn’t find the interest in taking that risk and buying a home,” explains Mengesha. The son, Walter, wants to invest the money in a liquor store, but Mama is morally opposed to the idea.

A debate ensues within the family about the money, reflecting the generational gap between Mama and her children. Meanwhile, Beneatha is consumed with issues of self-identity, reclaiming her African roots and pursuing her med school education.

“The play explores how they find an understanding between each other, and how to go for your dreams and still maintain your dignity,” says Mengesha.

She says that, even though the play was written close to 50 years ago, it still has relevance today due to the number of first-generation Canadians who are children of immigrants. Mengesha is the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants. “Our parents immigrated here looking for safety. We have different values as first-generation Canadians. The generation gap is a huge theme in Canada right now,” she says.

What’s more, Mengesha says the problem of racism persists. “Today’s generation wants to be hip hop artists, sell drugs. There’s a huge dropout rate because they’re not trusting the system. This is the same thing with Walter. Young people who are facing the day-to-day realities of racism want to create other paths outside the system, because the system isn’t working for them,” she explains.

Mengesha says she tried not to focus on the play’s extensive performance history when preparing to direct Theatre Calgary’s production. “I just read the play again for myself. When I watched the movie originally, years ago, I never made those connections,” she adds. (The 1961 movie starred Sidney Poitier, who also appeared in the Broadway production.)

Mengesha, who directed Da Kink in My Hair, which toured London and New York, cast A Raisin in the Sun younger than usual, because the issue of the generation gap facing 20- to 35-year-olds today remains so relevant. She also created an onstage world where the audience can see into other peoples’ apartments, reflective of the time and space in which the characters were living.

“People have asked me, ‘Is it specifically a black play?’ Well, of course it is. But anybody can relate to feeling held back from their dreams,” says Mengesha. “Anybody who’s ever felt like they have a dream and there are obstacles in their way, they’ll relate to this play.”