A Raisin in the Sun - Essay Example

A raisin in the sun The play has been cast in three Acts: Act I, Act II and Act III. Setting: All of the scenes are in Younger’s apartment; a two bedroomed house. Characters: Ruth, Walter, Lena (mama), Travis, Beneatha, George, Joseph, and others. Plot summary The play is a about an American family named the Youngers who struggle to alleviate themselves from poverty. Walter, his son Travis and wife Ruth live with Walter’s mother Lena (mama) and Walter’s sister Beneatha in a small house in the south side of Chicago. Walter is trying to make ends meet through his small job as a limo driver. According to Ruth, Walter’s job is not sufficient to keep the family going although Walter believes he is doing his best (Hansberry). As the story begins, we realize that Mr. Younger, Walter’s father had invested in an insurance scheme before his death. His family was therefore entitled to the insurance benefit after his death. Mama was sure $10000 could mature and the family could receive it. Each of the Family members was expecting the money and had conflicting demands based on the insurance money. For instance, Walter wants to invest the money in a liquor business with his friend. Mama desires to buy a home with the money, a dream the family had held for years. Benneatha on the other hand wants the money for her tuition at the medical school. The money is finally received and mama uses part of the money to acquire a house in the white neighborhood; where they think it is cheaper. The white people are not happy with the Youngers settling in their neighborhood, they send a representative to come and buy out the Youngers. Mama protests this move, which Walter was willing to consider. Mama tells Walter that people should not look down upon them since they too are humans with the same blood as them. As the play progresses, George Murchison is made known to us and Joseph Asagai is introduced as Beneatha’s boyfriends. George does not like to hear about the financial problems in Beneatha’s family. He also does not want to be associated with the black culture, to which he blames for the bad economic situations like those in Beneatha’s family. Asagai on the other hand, is conscious about the African heritage. He conserves the African customs and even blames Beneatha for adapting to the white culture. He promises to marry off Beneatha and relocate to his home country, Nigeria where they will practice medicine ( Internet Broadway Database). The Younger family is presented with various life problems that worsen their financial position. Walter loses a big portion of the insurance money which he invested in the liquor business with his friend Willy. Willy vanishes with the money shattering Walter’s dream to attain more wealth for the family, Ruth also discovers that she is pregnant. This will increase the financial woes the family is going through. She proposes to abort the baby so as to reduce their financial problem, a plan that Walter supports. The play ends with the family m0oving into their new house. Their financial problems are still a worry and their future survival is still undetermined. Characters Walter Young: he is in the mid-thirties. He is a husband to Ruth, a father to Travis, brother to Beneatha and son of Lena Younger. Walter is the family’s bread winner from his job as a limo driver. He is struggling to ensure his son and sister get education. He is concerned that the current income for his family is not sufficient, so he plans to invest in a liquor business, a venture that puts him in more trouble. He had hoped the business could transform his family and make them better human beings. Walter is a drinker and could drink too much at times. Ruth Younger: She is a wife to Walter Younger and a mother to Travis, her ten year old son. She is also in her thirties. She has been depicted as the family’s peace maker in most of the explosive scenes. Her emotions are realized when she expresses her feelings about moving to the white neighborhood. Beneatha: she is a daughter to Lena Younger and Walter’s sister. She is in her twenties. Beneatha is the only family member privileged to receive higher education, a matter that she wants to boast about. She is in collage and wants to join a medical school. She is so ambitious and desires to achieve her dream. Travis Younger: He is a ten year old son of Walter and Ruth. Travis is a likable boy in this play though he is depicted as cunning; he constantly plays the adults in this play against each other. Lena Younger (Mama): she is Walter and Beneatha’s mother. She is mother-in-law to Ruth and grandmother to Travis. She has been depicted as the wise family member and a loving mother. Everything she does in this play is out of love for her family. She is also caring and concerned with everyone’s welfare; for instance, she is concerned about Travis and Beneatha’s education. She ensures that Walter works hard to meet their education. Mama is also conservative; she does not support the liquor business at first owing to morality reasons. She is also selfless as she spends the $10000 on her family’s welfare. Joseph Asagai: he is an African student seeking to marry Beneatha. He is a hardworking young man who holds on to his culture despite the influence he gets at school. He is well mannered, a factor that makes the Youngers like him more. George Murchison: he is a rich college student who also happens to be Beneatha’s boyfriend. His rich background makes him alienate Beneatha’s poor family. His is a snob, a reason why the Younger family does not like him. About the Author This play was authored by a renowned American playwright, Lorraine Vivian Hansberry. She was born in May 1930 and died in 1965. She attended Betsy Ross Elementary and Englewood High School in 1944 and 1948 respectively. She then moved on to University of Wisconsin–Madison where she became a political activist. During one of her summer breaks in Mexico, she studied painting in University of Guadalajara. She later got married to Robert Nemiroff a publisher and song writer (House). During her lifetime she was a playwright, writer and a stage director. She was successful in her career as a playwright as she was the first black woman to write a play that was performed on the Broadway. She was concerned with liberation of both women and blacks in general. She also fought for sexual liberation as she was a known lesbian through her personal notes and activism in gay rights. As part of her liberation work, Lorraine worked with W. E. B. Du Bois and Paul Robeson in New York as a writer in the Pan-Africanist newspaper. Budget for the play Royalty costs: approximately $20000 Rental for rehearsal space: $ 200 per rehearsal session. There will be four session for a week in a year. This averages to approximately $42000 per year. To ensure proper mastery of their roles in the play, rehearsals have been approximated to last close to 9 months. Due to discounts offered, the rehearsal venue will be rented for a whole year. Rental of theatre performance space: $100 per hour. Each show will be taking approximately two hours. There will be 2 shows in a week. $21000 per year Director’s fees: $30000: the director will be the major play coordinator. He/she will ensure all the requirements for the play are present at each time. He will be directing the actors and guiding them in harmonizing their roles. Costume designer: $20000: He/she will ensure the correct costume designs are available to the actors and actresses. Lighting manager: $15000: will work to ensure the stage and the theatre in general are well light according to the play specifications. Sound manager: $15000: will work to ensure the required sound effects are available whenever they are required. Make up and special effects: $25000 Stage manager: $35000: hi/her main job will be to design the various settings for each scene. Technical director: $20000: will be involved in coordinating the sound and lighting technicians. Stage crew: $10000 per head: these will be those helping actors and actresses both in the back stage and front stage. They will be responsible for rearranging the stage according to each scene. Security: $5000 per head: they will ensure that no intruder access the rehearsal venue. They will also ensure security is maintained during the casting of the play. Carpenters: $10000: they will be involved with preparation of rehearsal material, furniture and fixture. House manager: $30000 Attorney: fee $25000: he/she will be concerned with legal issues arising from the play. Such issues as copyright and royalties will be addressed by the attorney. Accountant: $30000: this will be the custodian of the funds available for staging the play. He/she will control the movement of money from the play account. He/she shall also be answerable to the play expenditure. Miscellaneous Expenses: $50000 Cost of construction material: $10000 Beauty and make up kit: $15000 Costumes: $40000 Advertising: $25000 Total costs $550000 A ticket will cost $50. More than 75% of the tickets will be sold meaning that 75% of the seats will be occupied. Total ticket sales are approximated to be $600000. Due to the profit motive in this project, there will be a series of shows for a period of one year so that the above ticket sales can be realized. Production profit will be approximately $45000. This play will be a success if all goes according to plan. Works Cited Internet Broadway Database. A Raisin in the Sun: Royale Theatre . Chicago : IBDB. , 2009. Web. Hansberry, Lorraine. " By Lorraine Hansberry Character List." 2013. Cliff Notes . Web . 6 June 2014. —. "A Raisin in the Sun." 2014. Spark Notes . web. 6 June 2014. House, "Lorraine Hansberry. ". Chicago Landmarks. Chicago. , 2012. Kamp, Allen R. The History Behind Hansberry v. Lee,. Chicago , 1993. Web . Read More