Clybourne Park (2014)
by Bruce Norris
Performances: Tue 2nd – Sat 6th September 2014, Bell Theatre
Contents
Introduction
Clybourne Park was written in 2009 in reponse to Lorraine Hansberry's ground breaking 1959 play, A Raisin in the Sun and depicts fictional events set before and after the Hansberry play. Loosely based on historical events that happened in Chicago the play applies a modern twist to the issues of race, housing and the aspiration for a better life, highlighting what may lie beneath the surface of political correctness in even apparently liberal-minded people.
The play is set in one Chicago house in the neighbourhood of Clybourne Park.
Act 1 opens in 1959 where a white American couple who are in the process of moving out of their home, having sold it to a 'coloured' family.
Act 2, set in 2009, deals with the issues of a young white couple who are buying and upgrading the same house in an area that has now become a predominantly black neighbourhood.
Dealing with racial prejudice, territorialism and marital discord, the themes of the play are cleverly echoed in the two acts. We've enjoyed peeling back the layers of the characters and their motivations in this insightful modern play.
Cast
- Russ/Dan - Michael Fife
- Kathy/Bev - Caroline Beckett
- Francine/Lena - Anola Chase
- Jim/Tom/Kenneth - Nathan Pollpeter
- Albert/Kevin - Kwaku Mills-Bampoe
- Karl/Steve - Paul Dineen
- Betsy/Lindsay - Stephanie Ayres
Crew
- Assistant Director - Caroline Beckett
- Stage Manager - Gavin Parker
- Assistant Stage Manager - Emma Wilson
- Lighting & Sound Operator - Caroline Durant
- Set Design - Alan Buckman
- Accent Coach, Hair and Make-up - Lily Ann Coleman
- Lighting Design - Gareth Stevens
- Sound Design - Andrew Rickinson
- Poster Design - Jenny Gammon
- Set Build - Mark Ireson, Anton Krause, cast and crew
- Foot Lockers - Steve Nash, Kait Ni Fhiannaidhe, Hazel Hindle
- Show Photographs - Phil Gammon
Thanks
Thanks to: bar, box office and front of house teams, Emmaus and Ian Higham for loan of props, Paul Michaels, Deepa and Amanda, the casts of Punk Rock and House of Several Stories
Reviews
Some review quotes go here
Gallery
Reminiscences and Anecdotes
Members are encouraged to write about their experiences of working on or seeing this production. Please leave your name. Anonymous entries may be deleted.
See Also
Have there been other SLT productions of this play? Link to them here.
Or add anything that is related within this site. The author's page for instance or other plays with a similar theme.
References
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