Raisin in the Sun/Clybourne Park by Aoife Hughes

The House of the American Dream 
by Aoife Hughes

Any show that can put your heart in your mouth, make you cry from laughing, and question the most basic of principles you were sure you believed should be deemed a good show. Clybourne Park, is indeed, a very, very good show. The 2012 Tony Award wining play by Bruce Norris is a work of genius. However, these brilliant ideas that shaped the show were not entirely original. Norris took inspiration from Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 A Raisin in the Sun. Clybourne Park, the area in which the Younger family of A Raisin in the Sun move to, goes through decades of gentrification. The stories of the two shows interlace with eachother, both between the two acts of Clybourne Park in their different eras, in the same house, and the two entirely different shows, with concepts and social questions asked in both shows.

A Raisin in the Sun was difficult to relate to, as a young, white girl. It begged questions that were unfamiliar and hard to fathom and see from a viewpoint from some other than my own. However, a great show does in fact leave the audience thinking, and Raisin in the Sun can take credit for doing exactly that.

Clybourne Park, set in both 1959 and 2009, highlights how much and how little can change in half a century. On Clybourne Street in 1959, the racism was uncomfortably evident. Attempts were made for subtlety, however not to any extent that prevented it from being extremely apparent and offensive towards the African Americans. On Clybourne Street in 2009, it wasn’t as much straight racism as a general fear of those different than oneself and the fear of incredibly change. However in both settings, at first, it seems like there is little to no conflict. Nevertheless, as the story progresses and the intensity of the situation increases, characters crumble and true feelings and struggles are highlighted within many of the characters.

The production in both shows was notable. The set design was useful and added to the scene, and the execution of the acting on behalf of all of the actors was nothing short of excellent.

Without Clybourne Park, A Raisin in the Sun could’ve left me with quite an average viewing experience. However, because of consecutive viewing of both shows over two nights, the experience was perfect. They were sad, they were funny, they were relatable, they were thought provoking, and they were something I would go and see a million times again.