A Resonant Rendition of ‘A Raisin in the Sun’

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Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Chamber Theatre

Dimonte Henning and Paulina Lule - 'A Raisin in the Sun' (2026)

Dimonte Henning and Paulina Lule in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's 'A Raisin in the Sun' (2026)

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s production of Lorraine Hansberry’s intense family drama A Raisin in the Sun powerfully resonates on the main stage of the Broadway Theatre Center. Kimille Howard directs an impressive ensemble as they navigate their way through one of the most intricate and complex dramas of the mid-20th century.

Dimonte Henning brings powerful intensity to the role of Walter Lee Younger, a chauffeur living on the south side of Chicago in the 1950s who longs for something better. Walter can be portrayed with a deep existential fatigue that overwhelms to man’s frustrations. Henning plays the role with fire and intensity ...focusing instead on his incendiary restlessness that occasionally combusts.

Paulina Lule summons considerable strength to the stage in the role of Walter’s wife Ruth. The steely authority they bring to the stage is tempered by impressively textured empathy and emotional maturity. It's a very delicate dichotomy for any actress to tread. Lule does so with great grace and poise. Malaina Moore lends a suitably assertive presence to the stage in the role of Beneatha, a college student who is searching for her destiny at a crucial point in the 20th century as well as her own life.

It’s always a challenge bringing the Younger apartment to any stage larger than a cozy studio theater space. Scenic designer Stephen Hudson-Mairet has done an admirable job of making a tiny environment visible onstage. Though it’s clearly much larger than the space it’s meant to represent, Hudson-Mairet has rather deftly managed all of the subtly visual cues necessary to make the place seem small, cramped and run-down.

The Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s production of A Raisin in the Sun runs through May 24 at the Broadway Theatre Center. For ticket reservations and more, visit Milwaukee Chamber Theatre online.