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A Raisin in the Sun

MagnumCTMagnumCT Registered User regular
edited February 2008 in Debate and/or Discourse
So, I've taken the opportunity of the upcoming "Diddy Version" of Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry to read the play in my theatre class. Being a slacker in college, I was probably assigned this play, but I never read it. I read ahead today while the kids were going through a scene and nearly teared up in front of them.

Now I'm probably going to watch this movie, but the "Diddy Factor" has me worried. I'm not sure if anyone saw this show on Broadway while he was performing in it, but if you did or have some other insight, please share.

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    LoveIsUnityLoveIsUnity Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Just watch the original with Sidney Portier. It's so good.

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    RiemannLivesRiemannLives Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    The excellent dialog in the last 1/4 of the play largely makes up for it, but the character of Beneatha really brings down the overall quality. She is poorly written almost to the point of being a caricature.

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    KrunkMcGrunkKrunkMcGrunk Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    LoveIsUnity wrote: »
    Just watch the original with Sidney Portier. It's so good.

    I agree with this completely.

    The Diddy factor would also have me worried.

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    ForarForar #432 Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Me: "What the fuck is a "Diddy factor"?

    Wikipedia: "The revival featured Tony Award-winning performances from Phylicia Rashad and Audra McDonald, a Tony Award-nominated performance from Sanaa Lathan, and the well-publicized Broadway acting debut of Sean "Diddy" Combs as Walter Younger."

    Me: "Ahhhhhhhh."

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    MagnumCTMagnumCT Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Yeah, I think I'm just going to show them the Poitier version.

    I think Bennie IS maybe a caricature, of sorts anyway. While I dig the hell out of the fact that this play is accessible to and meaningful for everybody, there's still the whole being black in America thing, and that portion of the culture, the pretentious side, needed to be shown. Most of the Youngers are ultimately just "types."

    You have:

    Walter, the blindly ambitious one.

    Ruth, the long suffering and beat-down one

    Bennie, the pretentious one, more concerned with the people as a whole (and Africa) than her own situation

    Mama, the old-school, roots (no joke intended) one

    And Travis, the unmolded future. In my opinion, the play is actually about the battle for Travis. Walter wants him to be rich. Mama wants him to be proud. Bennie wants him (not specifically, but she wants everyone) to be socially conscious. Ruth just wants him to exist because, at the beginning of the play, that's all she does.

    Yeah, Bennie does seem really one-dimensional, but I believe there were/are still people like that.

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Penny Arcade Forums› Debate and/or Discourse