A Raisin in the Sun Public Programs
Complementing Lorraine Hansberry's masterpiece, A Raisin in the Sun, we're presenting a suite of public programs exploring the play, its themes, and its modern relevance. These programs will span the run of this production, providing ample opportunities for engagement.
Homepage artwork: Amanda Williams, Ultrasheen, 2014 – 2016, printed 2017, color photograph, 20 × 30 in. (50.8 × 76.2 cm), The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago; Image © 2024 courtesy of The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago.
Community Reads Social - "Harlem"
Monday, January 27, 2025
at the Blackstone Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 4904 S Lake Park Ave, Chicago, IL 60615
5:30-7:30 PM
Join us at the Blackstone Branch of the Chicago Public Library for a Community Reads Social. Guests will be invited to enjoy light refreshments and break out into small groups for guided facilitation and conversation surrounding the Langston Hughes poem, "Harlem" (1951) which inspired the title of Hansberry’s acclaimed Broadway debut in 1959, A Raisin in the Sun. Space is limited and RSVP is required.
RSVPs are limited to two (2) per person.
Agora Series – A Dream Deferred: Black Mobility and Housing
Thursday, February 13, 2025
at the National Public Housing Museum, 919 S Ada St, Chicago, IL 60607
6:30 PM
Join Court Theatre and the National Public Housing Museum for an evening of art, exploration, and conversation about the history of housing injustice. In a conversation moderated by museum Executive Director Lisa Lee, housing advocates and experts will share their creative approaches to interrogating the well-intentioned narrative that homeownership is the answer to combating systems of oppression that hinder Black mobility and generational wealth.
RSVPs are limited to four (4) per person.
Let's Talk About Art
in partnership with Hyde Park Art Center
February 17-20, 2025
hydbrid event over Zoom, at Court Theatre, 5535 S Ellis Ave, and at the Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S Cornell Ave
Court Theatre joins the “Let’s Talk About Art” series, Hyde Park Art Center’s innovative hybrid learning program for older adults (65+), where participants explore visual and performing arts and create their own art inspired by exhibits and performances they attend.
Registration coming soon.
Bushman
Friday, February 21, 2025
at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts Screening Room, 915 E 60th St Fl 2, Chicago, IL, 60637
Screening at 7:00 PM
Join us for a film screening of Bushman (1971), in partnership with the UChicago Film Studies Center.This film selection is Inspired by Joseph Asagai, a character in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, a Nigerian student studying abroad in Chicago and a suitor to Beneatha Younger. Throughout the play, Joseph’s character provides a Pan-African perspective in response to Beneatha’s boundless ambitions and the struggles of the entire Younger family.
RSVPs are limited to four (4) per person.
Community Reads Book Club - The South Side
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
at the Blackstone Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 4904 S Lake Park Ave, Chicago, IL 60615
5:30-7:30 PM
Join the Community Reads Book Club to take a closer look at issues past and present impacting housing on the South Side of Chicago. The book club selection for this series, The South Side, written by author and Chicago native, Natalie Moore, will be the focus of an intimate study group for exploration and facilitated discussion. Space is limited and RSVP is required.
RSVPs are limited to two (2) per person.
Community Reads Conversation - Post/Pre-show Discussion
Saturday, March 1, 2025
at Court Theatre, 5535 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
4:45 PM
To culminate the Community Reads series inspired by A Raisin in the Sun, join members of the production team to discuss the many layers of social issues that Hansberry illuminates within the play. This conversation can be enjoyed after the afternoon matinee performance or prior to the evening performance. Tickets are required to attend one of the performances, but the discussion is free.