Online Reporter
Maria Chiguvari
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
ALMASI Collaborative Arts will usher in its 2026 season with a free staged reading of “A Raisin in the Sun”, using the celebrated drama to spark dialogue on hope, identity and survival while strengthening its artist development programme.
The reading, directed by Leonard Matsa, will be held on Valentine’s Day at the Friendship Bench Hub in Mount Pleasant and brings together a blend of Almasi alumni and emerging performers.
The initiative forms part of the organisation’s ongoing efforts to ground creative practice in rigorous engagement with classic and socially resonant texts.
Written by Lorraine Hansberry and first staged in 1959, “A Raisin in the Sun” follows a Black working-class family in Chicago whose expectations of a better future rest on a life insurance payout. As differing dreams collide, the family confronts racism, economic hardship and the weight of unrealised ambition.
Matsa said the decision to open the season with the play was driven by its enduring relevance across time and geography.
“This play speaks to the human condition in moments of pressure and uncertainty,” he said. “It reminds us that when material options are limited, hope and integrity become central to survival.”
He added that beginning the year with a demanding text was meant to establish artistic standards for the months ahead.
“Starting the season with a work of this calibre allows us to nurture excellence, professionalism and authenticity, both among our new performers and our seasoned alumni,” Matsa said.
The play derives its title from Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem”, which poses the question of what happens to a dream deferred. That question remains central to Hansberry’s narrative, which continues to resonate with audiences confronting social and economic inequality.
“A Raisin in the Sun” occupies a significant place in theatre history as the first play by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway. Its influence was further cemented by a 1961 film adaptation directed by Daniel Petrie, with Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee reprising their stage roles. The original production was named Best Play of 1959 by the New York Drama Critics’ Circle and has since become a staple on lists of the world’s greatest plays. For Almasi, the staged reading is also a pedagogical exercise. Under the leadership of Programmes Director Gideon Jeph Wabvuta, the process has brought together the cast, director and a cohort of Almasi-trained directors and playwrights to closely examine Hansberry’s text, structure and thematic concerns.
The cast for the reading includes Daniel Nkumalo, Evita Mahachi, Deborah Kabongo, Charlene Mangweni-Furusa, Godblessus Dhliwayo, Chiedza Matabuka, Ronald Sigeca, Aaron Dobi, Clive Jonga and Michael Kudakwashe.
By opting for a staged reading rather than a full production, Almasi underscores its commitment to process-driven theatre, where analysis, mentorship and creative exploration are prioritised alongside performance. As the organisation steps into a new season, the choice of “A Raisin in the Sun” signals a continued belief in theatre’s power to interrogate social realities while shaping disciplined and thoughtful artistic voices.
