Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts announce the production of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Lydia Fort. This classic work from the American Theater is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary of the play's first production on Broadway. Public performances are Thursday-Saturday, November 14-16 at 7pm plus Saturday matinee at 2pm, November 21-23 at 7pm plus Saturday 2pm matinee and Thanksgiving weekend with 5 shows: Friday, November 29 at 2pm & 7pm, Saturday November 30 at 2 & 7pm, and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are on sale now and available online at baystreet.org, or by calling the Box Office at 631-725-9500.
The cast is now in rehearsal in Sag Harbor and includes:
Chauncy Thomas (Bay Street's The Great Gatsby, Madam Secretary) as
Walter Lee Younger; Cooki Winborn (Bay Street's To Kill A Mockingbird, Premature) as Lena Younger; Erin Margaret Pettigrew (
Manhattan Theater Club, New York Theater Workshop) as
Ruth Younger; Cassia Thompson (Romeo & Juliet, Our Town) as Beneatha Younger; Jonathan Farrington (Step Show: The Musical, Bayard: A New Musical) as Joseph Asagai;
Michael Chenevert (Godfather of Harlem, Interference) as George Murchison; Justin Jorrell (The Space Between,
Roy Wood Jr.: Snitch Cop) as Bobo;
Joe Pallister (Bay Street's Off Mice and Men, To Kill A Mockingbird) as Karl Lindner, and
Kaden Amari Anderson (Show Me A Hero,
Sesame Street Special) as Travis Younger.
The design and creative team include
Lydia Fort (Director);
Mike Billings (Set & Lighting Designer); Meghan O'Beirne (Costume Designer); Brian Staton (Sound Designer); Meg Murphy (Hair & Makeup Designer); Courtney Alberto (Props Designer); Rosalind Sullivan-Lovett (Dramaturg);
Christine Lemme (Production Stage Manager); and
Arthur Atkinson (Assistant Stage Manager).
Lydia Fort has directed at
Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Diversionary Theatre, Perseverance Theatre,
Women's Project Theatre, Women Center Stage, Urban Stages,
McCarter Theatre YouthInk! Festival,
New Federal Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem, freeFall Theatre, Hangar Theatre, Planet Connections Festivity (where she was honored with the 2013 Best Director and Greener Planet Awards) as well as other festivals including the New Black Fest, 48 Hours in Harlem, Fire This Time Festival, and SheWrites. She was a Time Warner Foundation Fellow of the 2012-2014 Lab at
Women's Project Theater, a TCG New Generations Future Leaders Grantee, New York Theatre Workshop Directing Fellow, and Drama League Directing Fellow. Lydia received a BA from New York University and an MFA in Directing from the University of Washington. She is an Assistant Professor at Emory University where she teaches directing, acting, African American theatre, and eco-theatre.
A RAISIN IN THE SUN is produced under Bay Street's Literature Live! Umbrella, allowing all student school groups and their administrators to attend for free. Funding support for the program is provided by Century Arts Foundation, the
Bay Street Theater Board of Trustees, The Andrew Sabin Family Foundation, Colgate-Palmolive, Dana Foundation, Fridolin Charitable Trust, Theatre Venture, Inc., Town of Southampton, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Irving Stern Foundation, the Sunny and Abe Rosenberg Foundation, the Campbell Family Foundation and many generous individuals. Sponsors: AARP Long Island, Berry & Co., Grenning Gallery, and Sag Harbor Books. Media sponsors: Dan's Papers, WBAZ, WEHM, and WLNG.
The Box Office is currently open Tuesday - Saturday 11 am - 5 pm. To purchase tickets, call the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or order online at
baystreet.org.
Photo Credit: Emma Ruben
