Elements used in Raisin in the Sun Essay - 1234 Words

Drama 160 Term Paper: Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun is a monumental play in the theatrical world. Produced in 1959, it became the first play written by an African-American woman to hit the stage and was later nominated for several Tony Awards. The play touched many controversial themes of the time including racial discrimination and poverty. The design of Raisin in the Sun, including scenic, costume, lighting, and sound elements, were crucial to developing the plot and emphasizing these themes. All of the elements are vital to the message and audience interpretation of the production, and overall, the Playmakers Repertory Company executed them well. The scenic design of a play is arguably the most†¦show more content†¦In addition to scenery, the props strategically placed around the housed illustrated the family’s cares and values. Throughout the room, the audience could see many picture frames. However, the two that were predominately displayed were a picture of Christ hanging over the front door, and a picture of Lena’s deceased husband that stayed on a table in the living room. These props emphasized importance the Younger’s placed on family and religion, which came up many times throughout the production. The entire family lived under one roof, looking after one another and making ends meet, together as a whole. In addition, the plot centered around a life-insurance check from the death of Lena’s husband. This kept the element of religion present since he was deceased and in the eyes of Lena, watching over the family. Both the design of the apartment and the detail of the props wit hin it gave the audience a greater understanding of the deep-rooted values and conflicts of the family. The costume design of Raisin in the Sun went hand-in-hand with the scenery and props. The realistic clothes of the Younger family further described a family of lower class, although not an untidy one. Each day, the members of the family would dress for work or school as well as they could, which illustrated the pride the family carried. This enormous prideShow MoreRelatedA Raisin Of The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry And Eveline968 Words   |  4 Pagespeoples’ actions. This is demonstrated in two very different texts. One is titled A Raisin in the sun and the other is titled Eveline. A Raisin of the Sun is by Lorraine Hansberry and Eveline is by James Joyce. These works of literature were done at different times and by authors with very different backgrounds. A Raisin in the sun and Eveline have the same story line, but uses different styles of writing, elements, and outcom es to express the significance of the character’s behavior and thought processRead MoreThe Authors Experiences of Opression in Loraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in The Sun† and Milcha Sanchez-Scott’s â€Å"The Cuban Swimmer† 891 Words   |  4 PagesLoraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in The Sun† and Milcha Sanchez-Scott’s â€Å"The Cuban Swimmer† both capture the authors’ past experiences of oppression, and convey their struggles with identity. Both authors are from minority cultures, and both describe the same harsh pressures from the dominant culture. Both author’s share situations of being outcasts, coming from different racial backgrounds and trying to triumph over these obstacles. 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In A Raisin in the Sun, many of the characters must give up something important to them to achieve their own idea of success. Everybody has his or her own dreams. Although some people may have homogeneous aspirations, no two are exactly the same. Hansberrys play, A Raisin in the Sun, reflects this concept by expressing that each character’s idea of the American Dream is distinct in its own wayRead MoreEssay on Follow Your Dreams1914 Words   |  8 PagesDreams are aspirations that reflect a human’s wants and desires in life. They are a fundamental element that drives human beings to achieve the impossible. Dreams have the ability to motivate oneself to set goals and ideals for the future. Each person in some part of their life has had desires that they would like to accomplish. Without these desires, there is nothing to motivate one’s actions and attitude. However, most people believe that satisfaction only exists once a dream is achieved. Louisa