Last year, Black Rep Founder and Producing Director Ron Himes directed “A Raisin in the Sun” for the University of South Carolina.

A staple of the American theater canon, working on Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking 1959 play reminded him of its brilliance.

“Lorraine was so ahead of her time,” Himes said.

The experience also reconnected him with the Judd Woldin, Robert Nemiroff and Charlotte Zaltzberg 1973 musical that the play inspired.

No one in the company of actors he directed knew the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation existed. He took full advantage of the teachable moment.

“There would be days when I was rehearsing and I would remember where a song went,” Himes said. “I have the songs in my playlist and I started playing the songs when we were rehearsing. I got back here a

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