@showsiveseen Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" #play by @TaprootTheatre & @ACTSONSTAGE. Engaging dialogue. Phenomenal "woe is me" moments from Marlette Buchanan, Shermona Mitchell, & @TeferiMagic. Closes next weekend! #Review: showsiveseen.com/12440 Photos: Robert Wade Director: @Bretteney Beverly Stage Mgr: Leila Cheung #showsiveseen #theatre ♬ Wishing on a Star – Rose Royce
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun play by Taproot Theatre & Acts on Stage. Engaging dialogue. Phenomenal “woe is me” moments from Marlette Buchanan, Shermona Mitchell, & Arlando Smith. Closes next weekend!
See it, especially if you enjoy dialogue plays.
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, I previously saw this at Seattle Rep. I think it was the first time I visited Seattle Rep!
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Probably
Mainstream Appeal: Medium
If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Yes
My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Following the death of her husband, the matriarch of a poor African American family receives a windfall life insurance payout. What begins as a moment of financial relief quickly sparks a passionate family debate over how the money should be spent – revealing dreams, tensions, and racial struggles.
Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: An American classic! A life insurance payout provides a path for Lena Younger to move her family from their cramped apartment on the south side of Chicago to an affordable home in a historically white neighborhood. But racial intolerance threatens to turn their American dream into heartbreak.
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: A couple
Several or Few Settings/Locations: An apartment living room
Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes, but it was more dialogue than action
Union Actors: 3
Total Actors: 9
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed
Was there an intermission? Yes
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours
Other Rave(s)
- “Woe is Me” Moments: I was completely captivated by the show’s “woe is me” moments of raw, emotionally charged monologues. It was as if the characters were wailing out in biblical anguish, weeping and gnashing their teeth, donning sackcloth and ashes. Shermona Mitchell (as Ruth Younger) delivered a poignant breakdown in hysterics, desperately offering to clean the entire country so her dream would come true. Arlando Smith (as Walter Lee Younger) gave a searing performance, collapsing emotionally as he wailed, “That money is made of my father’s flesh!” And finally, Marlette Buchanan (as Lena “Mama” Younger), who normally maintained a calm, dignified, positive presence, lost it and allowed her composed exterior to crack in Act II, when she learned of a heartbreaking betrayal.
- Dialogue: The script featured engaging dialogue, kicking off with a verbal spar between siblings Beneatha (played by Deja Monet Culver) and Walter Lee. Although the play leaned heavily on dialogue, it never felt weighed down by it, which was a pleasant surprise for me since I typically don’t gravitate toward dialogue-driven pieces.
- Mama: Marlette Buchanan portrayed a delightful family matriarch as Lena “Mama” Younger. She embodied the warmth of an indulgent grandmother with a genteel accent and precise diction. She reminded me of Adele Webber from Grey’s Anatomy – gracious, yet formidable when it counted. I especially loved the quiet authority she displayed in an entrusting moment with her son Walter Lee during Act I and the resolute, almost ultimatum-like challenge to him in Act II.
- Contrast: A thoughtful juxtaposition emerged between Mama and Beneatha as they flanked Ruth like opposing forces with Mama embodying the nurturing, traditional “good angel” while Beneatha challenged norms as the fiery, progressive “bad angel.” It was a striking clash of generational values: the enabling mother versus the fiercely independent, feminist agnostic.
- Comparison to Seattle Rep: Taproot Theatre’s production felt far more engaging than Seattle Rep’s version from 2016. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve grown older, Taproot Theatre’s production itself is stronger, or that I appreciate plays more now. I attended Taproot’s version with some skepticism, shaped by vague memories of being bored at the Seattle Rep. But to my surprise, Taproot’s production won me over and I ended up enjoying it far more than I anticipated.
Rant(s)
- Slow Start: The show opened with an extended, quiet sequence of a household slowly waking up. While it may have aimed for realism, it lacked a strong hook. In an era dominated by fast-paced, flashy, 1-minute entertainment like TikTok, this kind of slow burn risks losing the audience before the story even begins.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
- Cast and Characters: A cast of nine felt uniquely sizable for Taproot Theatre. It was also a bit strange that several actors were introduced only in the second act like the well-to-do George Murchison (Donovan Mahannah), the white HOA representative Karl Lindner (Tim Gouran), and Walter Lee’s business partner Bobo (Jeffrey Cheatham II).
- Joseph Asagai: Nigerian international student Joseph Asagai (portrayed by Dimitri Woods) exuded charm, but at times came off too smooth like a slick salesman particularly when peddling lofty, idealistic visions that felt detached from the lived realities of African Americans. His second-act monologue, while passionate, lacked clarity and left me uncertain about its ultimate message.
- Idealism vs Pragmaticism: Call me a heartless sellout, but I wouldn’t have taken the noble path at the end of the play. When it comes down to it, money talks. Some people don’t have the luxury of missing out on a significant monetary opportunity for the sake of proving a point that very well may fall on deaf ears. Maybe I’d feel differently if I were African American. But to be fair, I still have the perspective of a racial minority.
- Slap: I’m always a fan of a well-timed, literal slap in the face when a character says something truly offensive. There’s something cathartic about it. But in this production, the moment lacked impact (pun not intended). Just to be clear, I’m not advocating to hurt actors. But the illusion could’ve been more gasp-worthy.
- Manhood: The script centers on Walter Lee’s journey toward the responsibility of manhood … or more accurately, his transformation from a spoiled, entitled, and squandering little boy. But what’s striking is that the family never actually needed a man to “save” them. Three clear-headed, resilient women managed just fine without him. In fact, Walter Lee was the source of many of the family’s struggles, not their solution. Additionally, the script exposes the double standard of how society treats men and women. Men like Walter Lee are given a free pass to stumble, fail and “find themselves.” Their missteps are excused under the tired old banner of “boys will be boys.” Meanwhile, women are expected to “go be a nurse like other women or just get married and shut up!” The play isn’t just about one man growing up, it’s about how the patriarchy inhibits growth, potential, and justice. Down with the patriarchy!
- Set Design: Initially, the set seemed to depict a house, but it gradually became clear it was meant to be an apartment … albeit an unusual one, with a bathroom oddly situated outside the front door. Was that historically accurate? The staging also raised a logistical oddity: characters exiting through the front door never seemed to cross paths with those entering moments later.
- Title: The script itself never explicitly explains the origin of the title “A Raisin in the Sun.” I looked it up and the phrase is actually drawn from Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem,” which asks, “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” The reference suggests that when dreams are left unfulfilled, both the dreams and the dreamers risk withering away, stunted by circumstance and time.
Theatre Company: Taproot Theatre and Acts on Stage
Venue: Jewell Mainstage at Taproot Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 204 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Price Range: $25-62
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Paid lot or usually-free street parking. I always find free street parking on Greenwood Ave just South of the theatre.
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Pictures: See production pictures below by Robert Wade.
Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.
