a dream deferred

A few weeks ago, courtesy of The New York Times TimesTalks event series, I was fortunate enough to catch a preview, as well as a cast panel discussion, of a 3-hour television movie adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun, which is airing Monday night on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.



I first recall reading and watching the play in Mrs. Lemke's 9th grade English class over at my then- predominantly white and privileged prep school, Chaminade. But many years later (and wiser), the work takes on a whole different meaning that is just as relevant today as when it first appeared on Broadway in 1959. The play was written by Lorainne Hansberry, who became at age 29, the youngest American playwright, the fifth woman and the only African American to date to win the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play of the Year.

The opening of the movie includes a narration by Morgan Freeman of the Langston Hughes poem that was inspiration for the play's title:

A Dream Deferred

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

--Langston Hughes

Starting with a screening at Sundance, critical acclaim and media attention towards this project remains high. Oprah even interviewed castmates Sean Combs and Phylicia Rashad yesterday. I wonder what sort of reception it will get from kids today.

EW cast photo from Sundance... Yep, that's Uncle Jesse, Clair Huxtable, Diddy, Brown Sugar and Addison's BFF!

Despite his strong yet small role in Monster's Ball, I'm not a huge fan of Sean Combs or his bravado, but he is perfectly cast in this production (although it's a bit ironic). I only wish I was able to catch the Broadway run in 2004.

Thanks to Teeth for attending the preview with me. Sorry, you were unable to take your turn questioning Diddy (blame it on the cute little girl -- shoot, even she got to go to Sundance!).