To Be Young Gifted and Black

This biographical play is adapted from the book by Lorraine Hansbury by Robert Nemiroff, her husband and literary executor. It features a cast of 2 males, 4 females, and can feature anywhere from 7 to 20 interracial performers. Set on a bare stage with only a ramp, a company of actors assemble to tell the story of Lorraine Hansbury, her life, her work, and her inner life. With only lighting changes and hints of props or costumes, the actors move freely in and out of character before the audience. Music and lyrics from the play are included in the script, and a sound tape can be rented from Samuel French for a nominal fee. Contemporary in form, the play was woven together from letters, diaries, notebooks, poems, and portions of her plays. The form is free-form, but chronological, with scenes and memories merging into each other, in depicting the experiences which shaped Miss Handberry's life and spirit. Detailed production notes and a set diagram are included.