“What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up

like a raisin in the sun?”

—From the Langston Hughes poem “Harlem”



For its second show of the season, Texarkana Repertory Co. will stake out new territory and present the classic, Tony Award-winning, Lorraine Hansberry play “A Raisin in the Sun” on Sept. 12-14 and 19-21.

A landmark play, it was the first written by a black woman to be staged on Broadway, where Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee were members of the original cast in 1959.

“A Raisin in the Sun” chronicles the working-class Younger family in their rundown South Side Chicago apartment as they consider leaving for a new home.

Michael Cooper, TexRep’s artistic director, said TexRep is pleased to present a play that enhances the diversity of TexRep’s plays and the people involved in productions.

“I think it’s just great for everybody,” said Cooper, “that as we hopefully continue to grow, the arms reach further and further and there’s more cultural diversity ... and more people can participate and be excited about what we’re doing.”

In some ways, “A Raisin in the Sun” also explores generational conflicts and positions within the family as the civil rights era is about to blossom, he said.

The family is waiting for an insurance check after its patriarch passed away. Three generations of the family have different ideas and dreams about where they’d like to live next and the direction they’d like to go next.

“It’s sort of at the cusp of the civil rights movement and also at the cusp of women’s liberation,” Cooper said.

“It’s a wonderful play, it deals with some serious issues, and it has lots of humor in it,” he said, noting culturally the characters are all in a different place at a turning point in the country’s history.

He said the aim is to treat the material as naturally as possible.

Apart from one actor, the cast consists solely of black actors and actresses—something new for TexRep. Several cast members are part of the Texarkana-produced gospel musical “Itching Ears.” The director expects a good show with this talented group.

“So far they’re some of the best rehearsals I’ve had in years—totally prepared and eager and they want to do a good job,” Cooper said.

In addition to the Broadway play, a 1961 film version was released with the Broadway cast performing. A made-for-TV adaptation this year featured Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Phylicia Rashad, among others.



(Tickets: $10 for adults, $8 for senior adults and students. Times are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Call 903-831-7827 for reservations. Visit www.texrep.org for more information.)