A RAISIN IN THE SUN First Rehearsal: the Meet & Greet

Tuesday marked the first day of rehearsal for A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry here at the Huntington. It’s only the second show that we’ve produced more than once in the last 31 years (the other being Candide in 1989 and again in 2011). Back in 1995, Kenny Leon took the helm as director, and this time, we’ve invited Liesl Tommy back to tell the story anew. She also directed 2011’s Ruined  and last year’s production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, both of which were tremendous hits, so we’re excited to have her back in the building. I think I speak for the entire staff here when I say that we look forward to having her around, because she not only delivers these breathtaking theatrical feats, but also because she’s always so full of warmth and enthusiasm, making her an absolute pleasure to work with.

Check out our photo album from the Meet & Greet luncheon.

Fun fact: Liesl Tommy was born in South Africa, and moved to Newton when she was young. She saw Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at the Huntington when she was still in high school, and she cites the experience as a defining moment in her development as a theatre artist. In fact, growing up in the Boston area has inspired this production of Raisin as well. "My father was an urban planner who worked on low-income housing in Boston, and we often talked about how destructive to family life tiny apartments can be," she told us. "With Raisin, I'm looking to explore just how desperate poverty can make you when you don't have the space to be yourself."

And another fun fact: Liesl actually auditioned for our 1995 production of A Raisin In The Sun, and although she didn't get the part, she felt so accomplished just by being asked to come in for an audition at the Huntington that the experience cemented her decision to apply to grad school and dedicate her life to being a theatre artist.

You can hear her tell the story in her own words in this exclusive behind-the-scenes video from the first rehearsal, which also features opening remarks from Artistic Director Peter DuBois and Managing Director Michael Maso:

A Raisin in the Sun plays March 8 - April 7, 2013 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre.

Michael & Peter's Adventures Across The Pond

From Allison McDonough, Assistant to Managing Director Michael Maso

It is always a lonely week on my side of the office when Michael Maso is out of town, especially when I can imagine all the FANTASTIC theatre that he's seeing. A few weeks ago, Managing Director Michael Maso, Artistic Director Peter DuBois and a group of our Board Members flew "across the pond" to spend a week exploring the London theatre scene.

As I tell you more about their itinerary (which not only included some amazing theatre, but also food to die for), please imagine me becoming greener and greener with envy.

INVISIBLE MAN #Twittermission Round-Up

Our inaugural #Twittermission took place on the evening of January 30. The Twitterverse was buzzing with excitement when we announced the event, and there were many people following closesly as I communicated over video chat with Invisible Man projection designer Alex Koch and costume designer Kathleen Geldard and relayed their answers to audience questions live over our twitter feed, which was then displayed on the video monitors in the lobby during intermission. While much of the in-house audience seemed busy/distracted with concessions and bathroom runs, the video monitors still drew several curious eyes who watched with interest. With a little more leadtime to promote the event for A Raisin In The Sun, we're hoping to get our audiences - both those at the theatre, and those at home -even more involved in the #Twittermission conversation.

The conversation remains on our Twitter feed, of course, but for the sake of posterity, here are the tweets as they took place last night. (for those unfamiliar with twitter shorthand, @diveunderwater is Alex Koch)

Introducing #Twittermission

As Twitter has continued to grow in popularity, there's been a lot of talk in the theatre world about how to integrate it (and other social media platforms / smartphone apps) into performances. Many of you have probably already heard or read about "tweet seats," and the ensuing conversation / backlash around that. But as our Artistic Director Peter said, "from the moment the curtain goes up to the moment it comes down, the art on stage is all the engagement the audience needs. That onstage moment you miss to read or send a tweet could be the one that sends chills up your spine, stirs you with empathy, or sends your imagination wild."

So instead, we've found another way to get involved — but of course, we're going to need your help (hence the "social" part of "social media). Enter: #Twittermission. What's that? I'm glad you asked (he says rhetorically). At select performances, we'll be opening up our Twitter account to an artist, designer, stage manager, or other face behind-the-scenes who will field questions from the audience and answer them in real-time during intermission. The conversation will be displayed on the video monitors in the lobby of each of our theatres, allowing our audience to follow along. And if you don't have a ticket for the performance that night, you can still follow along with us live on Twitter. Think of it as another way to keep the conversation going after the curtain's gone down (and for those of you unfamiliar with Twitter -- our tweets will all be public, so you can still follow along without signing up or having an account of your own). If you're not able to follow along live, the conversation will remain archived on our Twitter feed, so you can go back and read through it any time you'd like!

We'll be hosting our inaugural #Twittermission this Wednesday, January 30, at the 7:30pm performance of Invisible Man. Video / Projection Designer Alex Koch will be on hand to answer your questions, whether they're about the production in general, the integration of video/media into live performance, Pedro Martinez's new position on the Red Sox (hey, he's a Cambridge native), or anything else. Feel free to ask your questions ahead of time as well — we'll compile all your questions and answer them throughout each intermission, making sure to tag your twitter handle in the response (unless you ask us not). Just make sure that you direct your tweets to the @Huntington and include the hashtag #Twittermission.

Sincerely crossing my fingers in the hope that this works,

Thom Dunn

Web and New Media Manager