Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Continues Its Summer Theatre Series with Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun
June 25 – July 13, 2025 | Schubert Theatre, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts
CENTER VALLEY, PA—June 18, 2025 —Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival proudly presents Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, a seminal work of American theatre that forever changed the cultural landscape. Directed by award-winning Philadelphia artist Akeem Davis, this pivotal work previews on June 25 and 26, opens Friday, June 27, and runs through July 13 in the intimate Schubert Theatre at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of DeSales University.
Set on Chicago’s South Side in the 1950s, A Raisin in the Sun follows the hopes, struggles, and fierce determination of the Younger family as they dream beyond the confines of their crowded apartment. When an insurance check offers the possibility of change, each family member must confront personal aspirations, societal pressures, and the unshakable bonds of love and legacy. With poignant depth, Hansberry’s landmark play remains a searing testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
“A Raisin in the Sun has been perhaps the most significant piece of American drama in my life,” says director Akeem Davis, a Barrymore Award-winner, Brown Martin Award recipient, and 2022 Pew Fellow. “As I’ve grown, the play’s profound truths and enduring humanity have only deepened.”
A stellar cast bring the story to life: Brandon E. Burton (Broadway’s Death of a Salesman) stars as Walter Lee Younger, with Kimberly S. Fairbanks (Off-Broadway: 59E59) as the formidable Lena “Mama” Younger. They’re joined by Noelle Diane Johnson (Theatre Horizon; Villanova Theatre) as Ruth Younger; Billie Wyatt (PSF: The Tempest and Sense and Sensibility) as the ambitious Beneatha Younger; and Kian E. Cooper and Octavian Suomie alternate as Travis Younger. Supporting roles feature Jamir Fisher (George Murchison, Moving Man), Keith Livingston (Bobo, Moving Man), Matt Pfeiffer (Karl Linder), and Isaiah Caleb Stanley (Joseph Asagai, Moving Man).
The production’s creative team includes scenic designer Marie Laster; sound designer Jordan McCree; costume designer Leigh Paradise; and lighting designer Thom Weaver. Kim Carson is the intimacy director; Ian Rose is the fight director; Patreshettarlini ‘Pat’ Adams is the production stage manager and Elliot M. Schenck is the assistant stage manager.
Tickets can be purchased online at PAShakespeare.org, or by calling the box office at 610.282.WILL [9455], or in person at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of DeSales University, in Center Valley, PA. Discounts are available for military, educators, seniors, students, and groups of 10+.
PSF invites patrons to celebrate with the artists at the Opening Night Champagne Reception on Friday, June 27, or dive deeper into the production during post-show talkbacks with cast members following Thursday performances on July 3 and 10. Enjoy a specialty dinner and conversation with the director on Wednesday, July 9, at 5pm (reservations required). For a behind-the-scenes look, join us for a special Epilogue and backstage tour on Saturday, July 12, at 10am. Adding to the ambiance, patrons can relax to live music “On the Green” before each performance. In its ongoing commitment to accessibility, PSF will also offer an audio-described performance on Saturday, June 12, at 2pm.
The Production Sponsor for A Raisin in the Sun is B. Braun. The Co-sponsors are Cross America Partners, LP and Dunne Manning.
The Festival’s 2025 Season Sponsors are Marilyn McDonald, MD and Joe Folger. The Associate Season Sponsors are Mary Bongiorno, Linda Lapos and Paul Wirth, Kathleen Kund Nolan and Timothy E. Nolan, Yvonne Payne and Edward Spitzer, The Szarko Family, and Harry C. Trexler Trust.
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is the Lehigh Valley’s professional equity theater hosted on the campus of DeSales University.
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, the official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, features acclaimed actors from Broadway, television, and film, and is the summer home to over 200 artists from around the country, including winners and nominees of the Tony, Obie, Emmy, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Jefferson, and Barrymore Awards.
The 2025 Summer Theatre Series—
“Play On!” Community Tour – William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing
May 30 to June 15 | Directed by Jason King Jones
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s “Play On!” Community Tour brings free performances of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing to libraries, parks, and community centers all over the region.
On the Main Stage:
The Producers – June 11 to June 29
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks. Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan.
Directed by Jennifer Childs
Choreographed by Tara Jeanne Vallee
Adapted from Brooks’ 1967 film, this laugh-a-minute romp features larger-than-life characters, wickedly funny double entendres, and splashy show-stopping musical numbers. With a truly hysterical book co-written by Brooks and Thomas Meehan, The Producers proudly proclaims itself an “equal opportunity offender,” skewering Broadway traditions with enough chutzpah to fill Times Square!
Hamlet – July 9 to August 3
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Lindsay Smiling
Shakespeare’s masterpiece delves into the depths of human thought, revealing the darkness that lies beneath loyalty, love, and justice. Experience the pulse-pounding tension and psychological intrigue that have made this play endure for centuries. Hamlet will play in repertory with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead – July 17 to August 2
By Tom Stoppard
Directed by Jason King Jones
Lost in a Shakespearean drama they barely understand, two glorified extras from Hamlet stumble into the spotlight. Watch as our hapless heroes flip coins (which mysteriously keep landing heads), ponder the meaning of life (spoiler: they don’t figure it out), and wonder if they’re actually the main characters in someone else’s tragedy. Occasionally, the “real” play crashes their existential party, sending them into a panic of “Wait, which one am I again?” Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead will play in rotating repertory.
In the Schubert Theatre:
Penelope – May 28 to June 8
Music and Lyrics by Alex Bechtel.
Book by Alex Bechtel, Grace McLean, and Eva Steinmetz.
Based on writings in The Odyssey by Homer
Directed by Eva Steinmetz
A Co-production with Theatre Horizon
This witty musical flips the script on the dutiful wife history wants you to believe in—Penelope’s done being a footnote in her husband’s epic; this time, she’s writing her own odyssey. With soulful songs, razor-sharp storytelling, and an onstage band doubling as her modern-day Greek chorus, Penelope transforms the tale you thought you knew into a solo cabaret act like no other.
A Raisin in the Sun – June 25 to July 13
By Lorraine Hansberry
Directed by Akeem Davis
The members of the Younger family dream bigger than the cramped apartment where they live on the south side of Chicago. When a life-changing insurance check arrives, three generations are suddenly given the chance to turn their hopes into reality. As they navigate the complex landscape of 1950s America, the Younger family discovers that unity, resilience, and love can overcome even the toughest challenges in their pursuit of a better life.
Timon of Athens – “Extreme Shakespeare”
July 23 to August 3
By William Shakespeare
Timon of Athens, once the life of every party and generous benefactor, finds himself abandoned when his fortune runs dry. Betrayed by those he trusted most, his legendary generosity turns to seething rage, transforming him from Athens’ favorite host to its most dangerous outcast. Performed “Extreme Shakespeare” style—actors arrive with lines learned, rehearse on their own, and open within days. No directors. No designers. Just pure adrenaline and raw talent unleashed on Shakespeare’s blistering commentary on wealth and loyalty.
Children’s Theatre Productions:
The Princess and The Frog Prince | July 4 to August 2 | Schubert Theatre
By Jason King Jones | Based on the Grimms’ Fairy Tale | Directed by Jessica Bedford
This fresh spin on the classic tale follows a basketball-loving princess who’d rather shoot hoops than wait for Prince Charming. But when her ball rolls into a well, she meets an unlikely hero—a talking frog under a magical spell. As friendship sparks, the duo proves that sometimes your perfect match is the teammate you least expect.
Shakespeare for Kids (S4K) presents Hamlet | July 23 to August 2 | Main Stage
By Erin Sheffield | Directed by Matt Pfeiffer
A high energy one-hour production, S4K activates imaginations and generates laughs for the entire family. Using a combination of songs, puppets, and scenes from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, S4K provides families with the opportunity to introduce children to Shakespeare in a welcoming, super kid-friendly environment.
The Festival will host its annual Community Day event on Saturday, June 28, 2025. The event will take place on the mall and in front of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts at DeSales University.
Artistic Leadership:
JASON KING JONES (Artistic Director) is excited to embark on his third year with PSF. In his first two seasons, Jason expanded the organization’s footprint to include the “Play On!” Community Tour, the launch of Shakespeare 4 Kids to libraries, and Community Day. Prior to moving to the Lehigh Valley with his family, Jason spent ten years at Maryland’s Olney Theatre Center, where he served as Senior Associate Artistic Director and Artistic Director of National Players. In the past twenty-six years Jason has directed over seventy-five productions, mentored hundreds of early-career theatre makers, and established various in-school and summer educational programs. He is an Acting Company alumnus, a proud member of the PSF Board, the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Nonprofit & Business Partners Council, and the Shakespeare Theatre Association’s Executive Committee. Jason holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from Missouri State and an MFA in Directing from Boston University.
CASEY WILLIAM GALLAGHER (Managing Director) has worked at PSF for 26 seasons. Over the years he was a box office intern, a stage management intern, the assistant house manager, box office manager, company manager, assistant producer, director of development and worked directly with PSF Founder Jerry Schubert in the early years of the organization. Since 2004, in his role as general manager and later managing director, he served as the administrative leader of the Festival, working very closely with former Producing Artistic Director Patrick Mulcahy and the box office, business, development, marketing and production departments. Since 2023, Casey is co-leader of the Festival with Artistic Director Jason King Jones. Beyond PSF, Casey was treasurer for the Shakespeare Theatre Association, director of audience services for The People’s Light & Theatre Company, a board member for Civic Theatre of Allentown, a peer panelist for the New Jersey Council on the Arts and a judge for the Greater Philadelphia Barrymore Awards for excellence in theatre.
A Raisin in the Sun Cast:
Brandon E. Burton (Walter Lee Younger) PSF: Fences (Lyons Maxson), Antony and Cleopatra (Menas/Alexas), Richard II (Willoughby). Broadway: Death of a Salesman (Happy/Biff Understudy). Regional: Yale Repertory Theatre, The Inspector (The Mayor), A Raisin In The Sun (Bobo); The Public Theatre: Merry Wives (Falstaff/Doctor/Pastor Understudy).
Kian E. Cooper (Travis Younger) Kian is excited to be making his Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival debut. He has just completed the 2nd grade in Brooklyn, NY where he performed as Fritz in The Nutcracker.
Kimberly S. Fairbanks (Lena (Mama) Younger) International: Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2016, 2024); Off-Broadway: The Sheen Center, 59E59, The Mint Theatre. Regionally: The Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Crossroads Theater Company, Voyage Theater Company, Delaware Theatre Company, Walnut Street Theater, The Wilma Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre Company, Theatre Exile, Azuka Theatre, The Arden Theatre. Selected TV/Film: Glass, The Upside, Brave the Dark; Recurring roles: Random Acts of Flyness, Law & Order, The Looming Tower, House of Cards, Do No Harm, Cross; Guest star: FBI, Instinct, Elementary, & Madam Secretary. Barrymore Nominee & National Partners American Theatre Classical Acting Award Recipient. Education: Villanova University, MA Theatre.
Jamir Fisher (George Murchison/Moving Man) makes his professional debut at PSF. DeSales University Act 1 Credits include: Underling in The Drowsy Chaperone, Sid Phillips, R.F. Simpson u/s in Singin’ in the Rain and Congregant in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Noelle Diane Johnson (Ruth Younger)
Credits include Regional: Theatre Horizon, TJ Loves Sally 4 Ever (Pam), Villanova Theatre, Crazy for You (Irene), The Spanish Tragedy (Queen of Spain), Men on Boats (O.G. Howland) and Stories in my Mother Tongue, a solo show; Staged Readings: PlayPenn, Unprecedented (Black Angel), Azuka Theatre, The Last Remains (Tamara).
Keith Livingston (Bobo, Moving Man)
Regional: Utah Shakespeare Festival, Henry VI Part 1 (Vernon/Ensemble) and Big River (Ensemble); Boise Contemporary Theater, I and You (Anthony); Bristol Riverside Theatre, In The Heights (Graffiti Pete), A Few Good Men (Ensemble), The Producers (Ensemble), Jesus Christ Superstar (Ensemble); Media Theatre, Legally Blonde (Kyle/Sundeep/Carlos); Philadelphia Artist’s Collective, Wine in the Wilderness (Sonny-Man); Arden Theatre Company, Charlotte’s Web (Avery/Announcer); Lantern Theater Company, Romeo & Juliet (Benvolio); Elm Shakespeare Company, Twelfth Night (Curio/Priest). He holds two B.A.’s from the University of New Haven and is a proud alum of the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center’s National Music Theatre Institute.
Matt Pfeiffer (Karl Linder) has acted and/or directed over 50 productions with the Festival. Other credits include Arden Theatre, People’s Light, Lantern Theatre, InterAct, 1812 Productions, DE Theatre Co, Theatre Horizon, Walnut St Theatre, Bristol Riverside, and DeSales among others. Matt is a 13 time Barrymore nominee and winner for best Director for The Whale and The Invisible Hand both with Theatre Exile. He’s a recipient of the F. Otto Haas Award.
Isaiah Caleb Stanley (Joseph Asagai, Moving Man)
PSF: Merry Wives of Windsor (Host). Regional: Theatre Exile, A Case for the Existence of God (Keith).
Octavian Suomie (Travis Younger)
A rising 6th grader, he works with Image International and has appeared in commercials for Crayola and Penn Health.
Billie Wyatt (Beneatha Younger) PSF Credits: The Tempest, Sense and Sensibility. Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Credits: Sense and Sensibility, As You Like It, A Midwinter Night’s Dream, The Rose Tattoo, Twelfth Night, Florence and Mojo, Two Plays by Alice Childress, The Metromaniacs, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, Snug, Comedy of Errors, A Christmas Carol. Also with: Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Quintessence Theatre Group (Camille, Flyin’ West), Hamlet Isn’t Dead, Oxford Shakespeare Workshop. She is represented by The Luedtke Agency.
A Raisin in the Sun Creative Team:
Patreshettarlini Adams (Stage Manager) is the Resident Stage Manager at the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia. She has been there since 1996 and recently celebrated over 100 productions with them! She has been a member of Actor’s Equity for over 31 years. Pat’s almost 40-year career also encompasses works with the Crossroads Theatre Company, New Brunswick, NJ; Freedom Theatre, Philadelphia, PA; New Victory Theater, NYC; Ford’s Theater, Washington, DC; The National Black Theatre Festival, Winston-Salem, NC; The National Black Arts Festival, Atlanta, GA; the Standard Bank National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, South Africa. She has also traveled internationally with dance company Noche Flamenca!
Kim Carson (Intimacy Director) currently serves as Theatre Director at Dieruff High School. Before joining PSF, Kim served in the Allentown School District, Saucon Valley School District, LV Charter High School for the Arts, and for the last 20 years, has worked as a professional actor, director, playwright, and photographer. Credits include 59 E 59, Walnut Street Theatre, Arden Theatre Co, Fulton Theatre, Peoples Light, John W. Engeman Theatre, Delaware Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Co, Theatre Exile, and many more. Kim has received two Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre in Philadelphia.
Akeem Davis (Director) Akeem Davis is a Barrymore and Brown Martin Award-winning actor and director, and a 2022 Pew Fellow in Theatre. He has worked with several Philadelphia theatre companies, including Arden Theatre Company, Theatre Exile, Wilma Theater, and People’s Light. He is also a founding company member of the Wilma Theater’s acting ensemble, HotHouse. Recent directing credits include: Topdog/Underdog (Arden Theatre Company), Wine in the Wilderness (Philadelphia Artists’ Collective), A Raisin in the Sun (Hedgerow Theatre Company), and Finding Freedom (Kennett Flash). Davis is a proud graduate of Florida State University and is represented by Headline Talent Agency.
Marie Laster (Scenic Designer) is a Barrymore nominated scenic designer based in New York City. Scenic design credits include Tin Church (off the WALL Productions), What the Constitution Means to Me (Arden Theatre), Ghetto Gods in Divineland (Passage Theatre), one drop cool (Moxie Arts NY & WP Theater), Chicken & Biscuits (TheatreSquared), American Moor (Lantern Theater), All My Mothers Dream in Spanish (Azuka Theatre and Teatro del Sol), Sandblasted (Theatre Horizon), Untitled (Inis Nua Theatre). Marie received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Philadelphia University and enjoys channeling her creative energy through the scenic design process.
Jordan McCree (Sound Designer) is an artist based in Philadelphia. Their most recent collaborations include: Half-God Of Rainfall (Wilma Theater), fallawayinto (Ninth Planet),we come to collect: a flirtation with capitalism (jenn kidwell and the blackening), The Comeuppance (Woolly Mammoth/Wilma Theater), Good Person of Setzuan (Wilma Theater), Grief Hotel (Clubbed Thumb), Cost of Living (Philadelphia Theatre Company), The BFG (Arden Theatre), The World Takes (short film, Eight Flow Studio), Eternal Life Part 1(The Wilma Theater), The Karamazovs (film, Village Park Productions), Fat Ham (2021 World Premiere, The Wilma Theater). They were one of the 2022 grant recipients to the 1/52 Project. They are also a member of Philly-based, Barrymore Award winning, hip hop collective, ILL DOOTS.
Leigh Paradise (costume designer) is a costumer and custom clothier based in southeastern PA. She is happy to return for another season of involvement with PSF. Her costume design credits include Intimate Apparel (Arden Theatre Company), Crumbs from the Table of Joy (Lantern Theater Company), Intimate Apparel (DeSales, Act 1), Sense and Sensibility (PSF), The Importance of Being Earnest (DeSales, Act 1), Last of the Red Hot Lovers (Walnut Street Theatre), Town (Theatre Horizon), and Bayard Rustin: Inside Ashland (People’s Light). She would like to thank Akeem Davis for inviting her to join this production, the PSF Costume Shop for all their hard work, and her family for their endless patience and support.
Ian Rose (Fight Director) has choreographed fights for commercials, film, and stage for over thirty years. Ian’s theater credits include Broadways’ Booth Theater (Les Liaisons Dangereuses with Liev Schrieber and Janet McTeer), the Bridewell Theatre in London, MTM Studios in Rome, Riverside Shakespeare and Interborough Repertory Theatre in New York City, the Whole Theatre in New Jersey, and Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. He is a frequent choreographer in Philadelphia with numerous credits at The Arden, Quintessence Theatre Group and the Wilma, including the Pulitzer Prize winning original production of James Ijames Fat Ham. His film work includes the documentary Philadelphia: The Great Experiment–Disorder and A Winter’s Tale. Ian is delighted to return to Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and is enormously thankful to Lindsay Smiling for his confidence.
Elliot M. Schenck (Assistant Stage Manager) is a rising senior BFA Stage Management student at Ithaca College in NY. Regional Credits: The Last Five Years, Cymbeline (PSF); Collegiate Stage Management: I and You, I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire, Let the Right One In, X, The Pirates of Penzance (Ithaca College); Collegiate Prop Supervising: Stupid F*cking Bird, The Liar (Ithaca College).
Thom Weaver (Lighting Designer) PSF: over a dozen productions including Much Ado, Macbeth, Midsummer, & The Tempest. Off-Broadway: Sandra (Vineyard), The Total Bent (Public), Kingdom Come (Roundabout), Exit Strategy (Primary Stages), King Hedley II, How I Learned What I Learned, The Liquid Plain (Signature Theatre Company). Select Regional: Huntington, Arden, Wilma (Associate Artist), Alley, Milwaukee Rep, Chicago Shakespeare, Getty, Portland Center Stage, Folger Theatre, Asolo Rep, Round House, Hangar, CenterStage, CA Shakespeare Theater, Syracuse Stage, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Lincoln Center Festival, & Yale Repertory Theatre, as well as numerous designs with Pilobolus. Awards: two Jeff Awards, Helen Hayes Award, six Barrymore Awards and two AUDELCO Awards. Education: Carnegie Mellon and Yale.
Infromation provided to TVL by:
Hayden Rinde
