"A Raisin in the Sun" Review

I got a chance to see the ART's production of Lorraine Hansbury's "A Raisin in the Sun" on Saturday. There were a lot of good performances including those by Brenadette Harper as Mama, Robert L. Woods as Walter, and Cindy Lasley as Mrs. Linder. Ms. Harper's portrayal as the matriarch of the family was compelling. I was almost in tears at her emotion reaction to Walter losing the money. She carried the show but worked very well off her cast. She balance the somewhat domineering mother with humor and compassion. She had a certain grace with such a deep character faced with such hardships as poverty and racism. Mr. Woods did one of the hardest jobs for an actor; playing a drunk! In all seriousness, he was able to come across as believable when stumbling and dancing all over the stage. Much like his "mother" in the show, he created a nice balance of humor and intensity for the role. I enjoyed his remarks to his wife's nagging which at times felt harsh but stemmed from familiarity for the most part. Mrs. Lasley certainly stole all of her scenes when she walked on stage. I know her personally and I did not see one bit of Cindy as the character. She was able to take a part that could be made harsh and uncaring and cause the audience to sympathize with her unfortunate situation. By no means did she make us forgive her actions, but she did give us someone we could understand. The lighting was very natural and added a brightness that conflicted nicely with the sometimes dark subject matter of the play. It gave a sense that although times are hard, things can still be cheerful.
The set was very well done. You got a feeling that although this family was in a boring environment of a boarding house, they had taken steps to personalize it. The staging fit very well with the space which can be difficult for a director. I enjoyed seeing the character react to different pieces on the stage.
I was disappointed to see that more attention had no been paid to keeping the costumes period. Some of the pieces had the right idea but were obviously modern. Women did not show cleavage like they do now.
I hope that everyone got a chance to see this production and enjoyed it as much as the cast enjoyed being in it.