A Raisin in the Sun (The Public Theater) NYC Reviews and Tickets

84%

(95 Reviews)

Positive

96%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Absorbing, Great writing, Relevant, Thought-provoking

About the Show

A fresh, new revival of Lorraine Hansberry's classic play about race and home.

Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking play returns to the New York stage. Directed by Tony Award nominee Robert O’Hara, this brand new take at a classic manages to be as provocative and powerful today as it was in 1959.

The play tells the story of Lena Younger, who decides to use her late husband’s life insurance to move her family from their cramped apartment on Chicago’s South Side to a home in another neighborhood. Her son, Walter Lee, has other ideas.

This inventive new revival of an American masterpiece fearlessly questions the American dream in the face of racial and economic struggles.

Member Reviews (95)

Thought-provoking, Relevant, Great writing, Great acting, Intense

See it if You want to see a surprisingly relevant drama that has some explosive scenes making for an uncomfortably wonderful night of theatre. Superb!

Don't see it if You’re looking for something light and fluffy or mindless. This is A+ acting, sets, costumes and lighting but it’s tough to watch at times.

Profound, Uneven production, Thought-provoking, Unfortunately still relevant, Great writing

See it if you have never seen this classic before. It's touching, at times exasperating, always truthful & makes you care about this family.

Don't see it if you don't like liberties taken in presenting the material. Some questionable choices made by director O'Hara but the brilliance of the .... Read more

Resonant

See it if Sadly, 1959 play's sense of anti-Blackness, institutionalized racism, lack of opportunities, dreams deferred issues are still going on.

Don't see it if Would like to see a more uplifting depiction of Black American life. I've never seen/read it before, so I can't compare it to other versions Read more

Some misdirected, misunderstood decisions, Provocative re-envisioning, Well-acted, Different spin on a classic postmodern play, Raisin-goes-angry and bitter

See it if you want to see a slightly-different take on Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking, original 1959 classic of one family’s shriveled dream.

Don't see it if changes (especially the finale's) twisting the play in a darker, albeit realistic, way will bother you; uncomfortable with racist language. Read more

Yelling right past each other diminishes dialogue, Creative license with aspects of original, Great set, Overly & distractingly broad performances, Great american play

See it if Want to see Pinkins in this classic role (she is the best in the cast).

Don't see it if Expect performances that are realistic & believable. These are simply over the top caricatures and it's grating. Read more

Profound, Entertaining

See it if you've never seen it staged.

Don't see it if you've seen it many, many times. Read more

Long, Relevant, Great staging, Great acting

See it if you have never seen this classic play. Even in 2022, it feels current and relevant. Fantastic performances.

Don't see it if you want to be home early. Clocking in at over 3 hours, you sometimes felt its length but that doesn't take away from its strengths.

Indulgent, Disappointing, Great script butchered by bad directing

See it if Not recommended. See the movie. However, Mandi Masden was the standout. She gave a great, heart wrenching performance.

Don't see it if Want to see a well done version of the beautiful well written play. I don’t think the director liked or respected the dialogue Read more

Critic Reviews (13)

"It’s not as if the play needed help to feel relevant; like all great works it has proved itself incessantly timely...That the play is so prescient does not mean that its story is over. It means that, sadly, it never is."
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"This, 'A Raisin in the Sun' suggests, is another legacy of oppression. Hansberry’s defining work may not be radical in form, but it remains a landmark of radical truth-telling in the theater."
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" 'A Raisin in the Sun' leaves room for hope but always ends with uncertainty. Even when imperfectly staged, her [Hansberry] takes on racism, assimilation, generational divides, and life’s harsh realities and hard choices remain razor-sharp."
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"A spectacular scenic transition dominates the final moment...In his push for a less optimistic ending, O'Hara flattens a text that is full of peaks and valleys."
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The sheer indestructibility of Lorraine Hansberry's pioneering Black drama is on display at the Public, most notably in its ability to withstand Robert O'Hara's directorial touches, some of which are more inspired than others.
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"If you are unfamiliar with the play, this truly is must-see theater... I cannot overemphasize the quality of the acting all around, the brilliance of the dialog... 'A Raisin in the Sun' is one of the truly great American plays of the twentieth century, and everyone connected with this production absolutely does it honor."
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"The acting in this production is superb, and O’Hara, to his credit, guides his players with both sensitivity and wit."
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While Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking play, "A Raisin in the Sun," in the 60th anniversary production first staged at Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2019, remains powerful and engrossing, Robert O’Hara's resolutely innovative production is a mixed blessing. Some will like O’Hara’s additions and changes; other will be averse to them. It will be a matter of personal taste. However, the play does seem less emotional than in previous productions which can be due to the fact the play has been made very familiar from Broadway revivals in both 2004 and 2014 and two movie versions or it can just be that O’Hara’s agenda vitiates it.
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Trailer

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