Characters: 

All 7 actors play two different characters in the course of the play. Act one is set in 1959 and act two is set in 2009. Please note that racial justice issues are a central part of the plot, and are the reason why specific race requirements are included in the character breakdown. 

 

Russ/Dan - white, 40’s - 50’s

Russ is a grieving father, who hasn’t dealt with the loss of his son two years prior. He recently accepted a new job, and he and his wife Bev are trying to sell their home, move, and make a fresh start. He is resistant to talking about his true emotions, but keeps a deceptively calm demeanor. In 2009, Dan is a hired hand who’s helping work on the property demolition when he uncovers a piece of the past buried below the dirt. 

 

Bev/Kathy- white, 40’s - 50’s

Bev is a traditional 1950’s wife, with a genuine compassion for others and a desire to offer hospitality to any who come through her front door. She is a bit progressive for her era, and is a well meaning woman who supports desegregation. Her efforts to get her husband Russ to open up consistently fail. In 2009, Kathy is a successful lawyer, who gets caught up in a tense situation between her clients and a local neighborhood couple. She is the daughter of Karl and Betsy.

 

Francine/Lena- black, late 20’s - early 40’s 

Francine is the housekeeper for Russ & Bev, who has worked with the family for years. She wrestles with accepting Bev’s well intentioned gestures, while consistently being put in uncomfortable situations due to her race and position. She does not want to create tension and prefers to maintain a professional, yet distant relationship. In 2009, Lena is a fiery woman of conviction. She stands up for what she believes in, even when she is uncomfortable. She pushes people to confront history and address the realities of systemic racism. 

 

Jim/Tom/Kenneth - white, late 20’s - late 30’s 

Jim is a local pastor in 1959 called by Bev to counsel Russ and asked by the homeowner’s association to convince Russ and Bev not to sell their home to a black family. Tom is a lawyer working with Lena and Kevin, on behalf of the Clybourne Park neighborhood in 2009 that has filed a petition arguing for preserving the historical look of the community. Kenneth is Bev & Russ’s son, who committed suicide after fighting in the war. 

 

Albert/Kevin - black, late 20’s - early 40’s 

Albert (1959) is married to Francine and is a helpful man, trying to keep himself and his wife out of the neighborhood’s argument. He is a peacemaker and genuinely a “good neighbor” type. Kevin is Lena’s husband in 2009. Although the couple occasionally bicker, he clearly loves his wife and rushes to her defense when she is insulted. Kevin is friendly and personable, with a good sense of humor, and tries his best to relate to Steve, Lindsey, and Kathy, unlike Lena, who criticizes him for his affability.

 

Karl/Steve- white, 30’s - 40’s

Karl (1959) is the only character from the origin story A Raisin in the Sun. He likes to talk but hates to listen, and so arguments with him are aggravating for all parties involved. He is an aggressive opponent of integration in the neighborhood, and has come to Bev and Russ’s house in an attempt to convince them not to go through with the sale. Steve is married to Lindsey in 2009, with whom he is expecting a child, and with whom he has purchased the house in Clybourne Park. Steve is outgoing and friendly, but as an upper middle class white man, Steve is rarely marginalized and therefore rarely offended. As a result, he has difficulty imagining that other people could be offended by the things he says. Prior experience with American Sign Language is a plus, but not required.

 

Betsy/Lindsey- white, late 20’s- early 40’s

Betsy is Karl’s pregnant, deaf wife in 1959. She is kind, good natured, but becomes lost in the conversation as it turns more volatile. She has a hampered speech pattern and uses sign language to help communicate. Lindsey (not deaf) is Steve’s pregnant wife in 2009. She is determined to make their dream home on this property, and is fighting to understand why the community is against her renovations. 

 

Note: Any artists who are members of the deaf community are welcome to audition for the role of Betsy. The casting team is open to splitting this role up for two actors, in order to create an inclusive opportunity for any artist interested in the role. Prior experience with American Sign Language is a plus, but not required.