A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry debuting on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem “Harlem” (also known as “A Dream Deferred”) by Langston Hughes. The story tells a black family’s experiences in the Washington Park Subdivision of Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood as they attempt to “better” themselves with an insurance payout following the death of the father. The New York Drama Critics’ Circle named it the best play of 1959.
