“Just tell me where you want to go to school and you’ll go. Just tell me what it is you want to be—and you’ll BE it. Whatever you want to be—Yessir! You just name it, son, and I hand you the world!”—Walter in A Raisin in the Sun
For all 20 years of Odyssey’s history, Odyssey students have acted out scenes from Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, the groundbreaking story of one Black family’s struggle on the southside of Chicago to achieve their dreams. Thanks to our partnership with American Players Theatre (APT), American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation, and Dane Arts, we brought 100 Odyssey students to see a performance of the play for free, including a pre-show picnic dinner and engaging conversation with APT core company member Gavin Lawrence about his iconic role as Walter Lee.