ICONIC BROADWAY PLAY, ‘A RAISIN IN THE SUN’, ROLLS INTO H-TOWN

Maria Chiguvari

Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub

ALMASI Collaborative Arts will launch its 2026 season with a free staged reading of Lorraine Hansberry’s acclaimed play “A Raisin in the Sun”.

First staged on Broadway in 1959, “A Raisin in the Sun” made history as the first play by a black female playwright to appear on the Broadway stage.

Directed by Leonard Matsa, the reading will take place on Valentine’s Day at the Friendship Bench Hub, in Mount Pleasant.

In a statement, Matsa said:

“A Raisin in the Sun is a timeless and universally relevant play, reminding us that in the midst of overwhelming adversities, including class struggles, hope is all we have and need. It is the fuel that drives existence.

“And when all seems lost, our integrity is our last line of salvation.

“By establishing this strong foundational start to the year with one of the greatest plays ever written, we are setting a clear frame through which excellence, professionalism and authentic artistic expression will be nurtured within both our new talent and our seasoned Almasi alumni,” he said.

Taking its title from Langston Hughes’ seminal poem “Harlem,” the story follows a black family on Chicago’s South Side as they confront housing discrimination, racism, and questions of identity while awaiting an insurance pay-out that could change their lives.

The family hopes the life-insurance cheque will change their circumstances, but tensions arise over how to use the money. After being staged on Broadway in 1959, the production came to the screen two years later and was directed by Daniel Petrie.

The original stars, including the iconic Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee, reprise their roles as members of the African American family living in a cramped Chicago apartment.

The play was named Best Play of 1959 by the New York Drama Critics’ Circle.

The classic remains a permanent fixture on global “greatest plays” lists.

The production will bring together a mix of Almasi alumni and emerging performers, reflecting the organisation’s ongoing commitment to nurturing Zimbabwe’s next generation of theatre talent.

The cast includes Daniel Nkumalo, Evita Mahachi, Deborah Kabongo, Charlene Mangweni-Furusa, Godblessus Dhliwayo, Chiedza Matabuka, Ronald Sigeca, Aaron Dobi, Clive Jonga and Michael Kudakwashe.

Led by Almasi’s Programmes Director, Gideon Jeph Wabvuta, it brings the cast and director Matsa together with a cohort of Almasi-trained directors and playwrights to deeply dissect Hansberry’s text and structure.