CALIFORNIA SHAKESPEARE COMPANY OPENED its 40th summer season last week with the American classic, “A Raisin in the Sun,” demonstrating that playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s depiction of the Younger family’s struggles in 1950s Chicago reflects a universal American theme. The title itself suggests that universal aspect, taken as it is from a line of the Langston Hughes poem, “Harlem”:

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?

In the play, Walter (Actors’ Equity Association member Marcus Henderson) longs to break free from his menial, dead-end job as a chauffeur and rise up to a new life, imagining himself as a high-ranking executive with plenty of money to help his children achieve greatness in their own lives. Walter’s dream has become an obsession ever since he learned that Mama (Equity actor Margo Hall) will receive a check for $10,000 from her late husband’s life insurance policy. Walter’s wife (Ryan Nicole Peters as Ruth) has heard too many of his schemes, though, to share his enthusiasm, and there is no guarantee that Mama will give him the money.

Mama is the matron of the Younger household, residing in a run-down apartment with her unmarried daughter Beneatha (Equity actor Nemuna Ceesay), as well as Walter and Walter’s wife and child. Hall’s performance in the pivotal role is the cement that holds the Cal Shakes production together. Her character exudes the decisiveness and wisdom of someone who has learned important lessons through life experience — confident in her convictions and comfortable allowing her extended family room to make their own choices while offering her voice of experience, in moderation and mostly good humor.

Henderson and Peters do well as the struggling young couple Walter and Ruth. Ruth’s weariness is keenly felt in the slow and steady way she moves, and in the even tone in her voice. Walter’s sense of sense of powerlessness is piercing whenever he begins to lose his temper. The two have a familiar rapport, complete with alternating surges of intimacy and frustration.

The character of Walter’s sister Beneatha is puzzling, as if the audience isn’t privy to everything about her. In one scene she behaves like a young teenager, completely at home and expressing an annoying sense of entitlement; in another she is an accomplished young woman, businesslike in her attitude and smartly dressed to boot. That part fits with the blossoming young woman courting two respectable suitors, one offering the prospect of economic security while the other promises a more uncertain but exotic-sounding future. Beneatha stands out as privileged and optimistic, in contrast to her struggling family. Her place in the family dynamic is not plainly apparent.

Elements of the Younger family drama could, and do, play out in just about every American household. There is an underlying spirit of unity that keeps conflicts from exploding into wrath, and a tenderness that seems to surface when it’s most needed. Each family member has dreams in life that are sometimes spoken and encouraged, and sometimes not. Yet there is also a clear sense in the play of the black plight in particular, a profound presence of injustice due entirely to other people’s prejudices. Opportunities exist for the Youngers, but they are disproportionately scarce and elusive.

Director Patricia McGregor succeeds in presenting a tale with relevance and poignance for 21st-century audiences. The players are highly professional, polished and well rehearsed, though for the most part their portrayals don’t seem entirely heartfelt — with the exception of Hall, whose Mama is the source of the play’s emotional power and who alone leaves an indelible impression.

The Cal Shakes season opener plays out in the beautiful setting of the Bruins Amphitheater, nestled in the Orinda hills. It gets chilly once the sun goes down, so bring a blanket or borrow one for free on site. Picnic tables are available for dining before the show, and an open café offers a nice variety of food and drink for those who choose not to bring their own. A “grove talk” is held an hour before show time. For more information about Cal Shakes, visit calshakes.org.

If You Go
“A Raisin in the Sun” continues at the Bruins Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda, through June 15. Tickets are $36 to $51 and are available by calling 510-548-9666 or online at calshakes.org.

Elizabeth Warnimont is a freelance writer specializing in the performing arts. She is also a substitute teacher for the Benicia Unified School District.