Lorraine Hansberry Theatre facts for kids
The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre is a special arts group in downtown San Francisco. It focuses on telling stories about the African-American experience. The theatre is named after Lorraine Hansberry, a famous writer who wrote A Raisin in the Sun. She lived in the Bay Area when she wrote that play. Since it started in 1981, the theatre has put on many amazing shows. Famous actors like Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, and Danny Glover have performed there.
For over 40 years, the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre has shown the African-American story on stage. This is a big part of the American story. People say it's one of the strongest arts groups in San Francisco. It has faced many challenges, like changes in where it's located. But it has always kept going. The theatre has put on more than 100 plays and events.
Some important shows include Three Views of Mt. Fuji by Ntozake Shange in 1987. This play was shown at the theatre before going to New York. In 1991, playwright Robert Alexander put on a play there. It looked at old ideas about characters from Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Finding a New Home
In June 2007, the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre faced a big problem. They were going to lose their home at the YWCA building on 620 Sutter Street. They had been there since 1988. Their lease was ending, and the Academy of Art University wanted to buy the building. The university planned to use it as a student dorm.
People quickly started a campaign to help the theatre stay. They asked for support from the mayor, city leaders, and the head of the Academy of Art. About 1,300 emails were sent from the theatre's website. Many letters were also sent. Important arts groups in San Francisco wrote a letter to the mayor. They asked him to help the theatre.
On June 30, the theatre got good news. San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted to support the theatre. They said it was important for the city's culture. All 10 members voted yes.
The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre finally found a new place at 450 Post Street. The theatre's leader, Quentin Easter, said they expected to stay there for a long time. But then, things went wrong. The theatre had to cancel its shows. Its founders, Stanley E. Williams and Quentin Easter, became sick.
The theatre had been without a permanent home since 2007. It had lost its 300-seat theatre on Sutter Street. Moving to the 729-seat Post Street space in 2010 seemed like a big step up. They opened there with the musical Mahalia.
Today, the theatre is located inside the San Francisco African American Historical and Cultural Society. This building is at 762 Fulton Street. It is between the Fillmore District and Hayes Valley.
Remembering a Co-Founder
Quentin Easter helped start the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre in 1981. He was the Executive Director from the beginning. He oversaw a big project to fix up and move the theatre to 620 Sutter Street. This made the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre the first African-American arts group in San Francisco's main theatre area.
Mr. Easter was a judge for different arts programs. He won many awards for his work in the community. These included the 'Profiles in Excellence' Award from KGO-TV 7 and the 'Local Heroes Award' from KQED-TV. Under his leadership, the theatre also won the Paine Knickerbocker Award. This award was for its ongoing contributions to Bay Area theatre.
The theatre's season was planned to include Stick Fly by Lydia R. Diamond. It also planned to show Fabulation by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage. The first sign of trouble was when Stick Fly was delayed.
New Artistic Leader
In September 2020, the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre welcomed a new artistic director. Her name is Margo Hall. She is the first female director for the theatre. Margo has worked in Bay Area theatre for over 30 years. She has had connections with the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre throughout her career.
