CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — A local theatre organization presented Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 drama “A Raisin in the Sun” from June 25 to July 13 at the Schubert Theatre in DeSales University’s Labuda Center for the Performing Arts. The show is part of the group’s ongoing summer theatre program, which began May 28 and concludes Aug. 3.

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival actor Akeem Davis made his directorial debut with the production.

The play follows African American character Walter Lee Younger, portrayed by Brandon E. Burton, and his financially struggling family in 1950s Chicago. After Walter Lee’s mother, Lena Younger (Kimberly S. Fairbanks), receives a $10,000 life insurance check following her husband’s death, tensions rise over how to use the money — especially concerning a plan to move to the all-white neighborhood of Clybourne Park.

The rest is free.
Just add your email.
It signs you up for our free newsletter, Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, and that’s all we use it for. Do it once and every story stays open.
You’re in. Read on.

Other cast members include Noelle Diane Johnson as Walter Lee’s wife, Ruth Younger; Billie Wyatt as his sister, Beneatha Younger; and Matt Pfeiffer as Karl Linder, a delegate from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association. Octavian Suomie and Kian E. Cooper alternated in the role of Travis Younger, the son of Walter and Lena.

DeSales University rising senior and musical theatre major Jamir Fisher made his Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival debut in dual roles: George Murchison, one of Beneatha’s dates, and a minor role as a moving man.

Stay informed on Lehigh Valley news

Get our newsletter for ongoing coverage and follow-ups on stories like this one.

By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and consent to receive updates.

Fisher spoke about what inspired him to join the festival and what he hopes to see from the organization throughout the season.

“I decided to join this year’s PSF because I truly believed that it would be a fun, challenging experience of getting to do something that I love,” Fisher said. “I hope that the future of PA Shakespeare Festival for the rest of the summer continues to put on shows that tell stories that hold powerful messages.”

The production was staged through an agreement with Concord Theatricals. Due to mature content, it is not recommended for audiences under age 13.

Health care company B. Braun Sharing Expertise served as the production sponsor. Dunne Manning, a food and automobile provider, and fuel retailer CrossAmerica Partners LP co-sponsored the performance.

Fisher also commented on how closely the play adhered to Hansberry’s original script.

Own a local business?

Put it in front of Lehigh Valley readers. Leave your email and we’ll send our rates.

We’ll only use it to reply. This doesn’t sign you up for anything.

“I think as a whole we stayed as true as possible to Lorraine Hansberry’s word because we believed that she wrote the perfect play,” he said. “Something that we did differently, though, was our director and sound designer worked on sound cues with some of the cast members reciting the poem that the title of the play was inspired by.”

The Labuda Center for the Performing Arts houses the Main Stage and the smaller Schubert Theatre. Photo by Carter Fehlinger

The show runs two hours and 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

Fisher also shared what he hopes audiences will take away from the production.

“I hope the audience will take with them the significance of this story and why it is so important for this story to continue to be told to this day,” he said.

Other ongoing festival performances include The Princess and the Frog at the Schubert Theatre, running through Aug. 2, and Hamlet on the Main Stage, running through Aug. 3.

The Labuda Center for the Performing Arts is located at 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA 18034.

Visit Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s website for more information on upcoming showtimes and purchasing tickets.