Culture
Raisin In The Sun Two River Theater Review
Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ opened its 2017 – 2018 season with the classic play, Raisin in The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry.
Red Bank, NJ – Two River Theater opened its 2017 – 2018 season with the classic play, Raisin in The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Debuted on Broadway in 1959, the title comes from one of Langston Hughes poem’s “A Dream Deferred”.
Written by Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in The Sun, rose her to be a critically acclaimed playwright, being the first African American to win the New York Drama Critics Circles Award for Best Play of the Year. The play has been revered as changing the landscape of American playwrights, and one of the best stories depicting the black experience.
The Two River Theater has continued to display the multifaceted play with direction by Carl Cofield, bringing back faces such as Brandon Dirden, Brenda Pressely, and Crystal Dickinson (Brandon’s wife). Brandon also shares the stage with his father, Willie Dirden, who plays Bobo.
Raisin in The Sun’s plot
Raisin In The Sun tells the story of a black family’s experience living in the Chicago Woodlawns area in the 1950s as they attempt to better themselves. The Younger family is dealing with a crisis when find out they will receive $10,000 from an insurance payout after the patriarch has passed away. To them, in the conditions they’re living in, this is a large sum of money and ultimately, might be their ticket out of poverty if spent correctly.
In a small run down apartment, the Younger family develops ideas and clash on what to do with the money as Walter Lee (Brandon J. Dirden) wants to buy a liquor store, and his mother (Brenda Pressley) wants to put some of the money away for her daughter’s (Jasmine Batchelor) medical school tuition and down payment on a house. Walter’s wife Ruth (Crystal Dickinson) is caught between her husband’s dreams and Lena’s sensibility. The play examines each character’s souls and bonds as they try to persevere out of poverty while battling racism.
In high school, I had the honor to play Walter Lee. I’ve also seen the 2008 movie version of Raisin In The Sun starring Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, Sanaa Lathan, and Sean Combs (Diddy). I have always believed this play is simply voices trying to be heard and navigating through the process.
Walter Lee brought out the best in me. While misunderstood, his character is such a dynamic figure who gives us all a little bit of soul searching. And the bond between his family, especially the women, shows that real love in unmatched.
Set Design
The set design captured the essence of the Chicago’s lifestyle in the 1950’s and direction by Carl Cofield makes the play come beautifully together, once again.
How to watch A Raisin in The Sun
Raisin In The Sun is running until October 8th at the Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ. Take your family out to enjoy this wonderful play. For more information, please visit www.trtc.org.
Black Excellence
Inside the 17th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood® Awards
Hosted by Clifford “Method Man” Smith, the star studded event premiered March 15, exclusively on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
Get a look inside the 17th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards.
Hosted by Clifford “Method Man” Smith, the star studded event premiered March 15, exclusively on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
About ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards
The ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood honors women who are making their undeniable mark in film and television and amplifies their strides in defining what it means to be a Black woman in Hollywood.
Honorees
This year’s honorees and entertainment industry trailblazers include Academy Award nominated actress & Grammy Award winner, Danielle Brooks, six-time Grammy nominated singer and leading-actress Halle Bailey, acclaimed screenwriter and showrunner of All American, All American: Homecoming and Found, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, and industry powerhouse & President of Original Programming for STARZ, Kathryn Busby.
Check out some photo highlights inside the 17th ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards
For more, please visit http://www.essence.com/bwih2024
Culture
U.S. Virgin Islands Announces the Performance Line-up for St. Thomas Carnival Village Featuring Shaggy, Sizzla, Patrice Roberts, and Machel Montano
The Village will be headlined by Caribbean superstars Shaggy, Patrice Roberts, Sizzla Kalonji, Kes, and Machel Montano, who will kick off the six-night free Village concerts on Monday, April 29.
The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism and Division of Festivals has announced the performance line-up for the 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village.
72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village
The Village will be headlined by Caribbean superstars Shaggy, Patrice Roberts, Sizzla Kalonji, Kes, and Machel Montano, who will kick off the six-night free Village concerts on Monday, April 29.
“The anticipation around this year’s St. Thomas Carnival is at an all-time high, and the Village night performers reflect the continued influence and growth of our territory’s three carnivals,” exclaims USVI Department of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte.
Center Stage
Adam O, Rudy Live, Temisha, Karnage, Blind Earz, VIO International, and Spectrum Band are among the performers who will take center stage to represent the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“Every year, our goal is to pay homage to the vast Virgin Islands and Caribbean culture that is at the cornerstone of these annual celebrations for natives and visitors alike,” added USVI Division of Festivals Director Ian Turnbull.
Haitian kompa band VAYB and Dominican salsa orchestra Chiquito Team Band will provide a cross-cultural immersion of sound, highlighting the diverse musical interests of Virgin Islands residents.
First-time performers
Rounding out the village are a few first-time performers in the territory, including TeeJay, Jada Kingdom, and Kollision Band, and returning favorites Edwin Yearwood and Krosfyah, and Grandmasters.
Kids Night Out Village Night
This year, the Division of Festivals will host its first Kids Night Out Village Night, with activities including the Toddlers Derby, Best Dressed Doll, and performances by TMK and OTB.
More information on 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village
For up-to-date information about the 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival, visit https://www.instagram.com/usvifestivals/.
Culture
Online romances get a dose of reality in OWN’S all-new love & relationship series ‘The Never Ever Mets’
Hosted by Ta’Rhonda Jones, this 10-episode series features seven couples who have been virtually dating for some time and believe they may have found lasting love – only they have never met each other in person.
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has announced an all-new relationship series that takes online dating into the real world, The Never Ever Mets.
About The Never Ever Mets Series
Hosted by Ta’Rhonda Jones, this 10-episode series features seven couples who have been virtually dating for some time and believe they may have found lasting love – only they have never met each other in person! Now, they’re meeting face-to-face for the very first time and sharing a house together for three weeks to see if their internet love can survive off the screen and in real life.
Synopsis
As all seven couples convene under the same roof, dating in person rather than through their computers or phones quickly proves to be the biggest challenge yet.
While many couples have been years in the making, some quickly find the in-person relationship is not what they anticipated.
To test the strength of their love connections, the group participates in a series of fun and flirty relationship activities, couples therapy and for some, a trip to the “boom boom room.” But visits from discerning loved ones, meddling opinions and tension from others in the house challenge their bonds even further. At the end of their stay, some will go home together…and some will be signing off for good.
Premiere
The series premieres on Friday, April 19 at 8pm ET/PT, on the OWN Network.
Check out the trailer below:
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