READING: Lillian Hellman, The Little Foxes
VIEWING: Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun; August Wilson, The Piano Lesson
PERSONAL ONLINE RESEARCH: Get background information on both playwrights.
Two very important plays written by African American playwrights.
A Raisin in the Sun had difficulty finding investors in the 1950s. Many felt, and feared the critics would also feel, that the play was not universal enough, that it would not survive white critics and white Broadway audiences. They were wrong. The play was extremely well received by audiences and won four Tony Awards. It is now regarded as an important play in the history of Broadway. You will watch the movie version that boasts a brilliant performance by Sidney Poitier.
The Piano Lesson won a Pulitzer Prize, a Tony Award, and was made into a film, which you will be viewing. August Wilson was arguably America’s best African American playwright. He set as his own goal the writing of a play for each decade of the twentieth century that described the condition of African Americans during that period. He passed away shortly after writing the 10th play, his last. Check a bio online for more information
The Little Foxes is a purely melodramatic play, good vs. evil, that warms its audiences about the potential evils of unchecked capitalism, something many of us feel strongly about today! Get background info on Lillian Hellman online.
TWO PAGES
1. A Raisin in the Sun:
Why the title?
Evaluate Walter Lee. What are his strengths and weaknesses?
State the theme.
TWO PAGES
2. The Piano Lesson:
Why the title?
Evaluate Boy Willy OR Berneice. What are his/her strengths and weaknesses?
State the theme
TWO PAGES
3. The Little Foxes:
Why the title?
Evaluate Regina. What are her strengths and weaknesses?
Explain how this play continues the mission of the earlier Group Theatre
