There is a deleted scene from "A Raisin in the Sun." It's when the Lees make it to the new home. Where is it?

Question

The scene has Walter Lee on the telephone, he is calling for help while shots are heard overhead. It is said that this scene was deleted, because it was too depressing to end the play this way. I would love to be able to read the original way the play was supposed to end. Please let me know if you have any information. Thank you.

Answer 1

I have a copy of the 30th anniversary edition of the play right here from Samuel French Inc. Who own the stage rights. I'm currently in a production of it as Mr. Lindner. If you mean a scene that was deleted from the Sidney Poitier movie version there were a lot of edits in that to make it fit the time frame of the movie. The 1986 version with Danny Glover and Esther Rolle is extremely accurate to the script however and is a more true to Lorraine Hansberry's original vision. The 30th anniversary edition restored some dialog and 2 deleted scenes back into the play. One was a conversation with the neighbor Mrs. Johnson in act II Scene 2 after Beneathas exit. Although mildly humorous I don't think it added much to the play. The other was an extension of the scene in act 1 scene 2 about Travis chasing a rat in the alley and it doesn't add anything critical. Both scenes are in the 1986 production. There is no mention of a scene like what you described, nor any other ending in any of the interviews I've seen with Ms Hansberry. I think someone is pulling your leg

Answer 2

'I have never heard that before, but you can always pick up the book and read it for yourself and see if anything was deleted. I 'm going to get my copy now and see, and really Idon't recall that in the original ending. I think the whole premise was to create a positive image in the author's mind.

Answer 3

Wow! I dunno where it is but i would love to find it.