English 1102 (with Raisin in the Sun & Death of a Salesman resources): Raisin in the Sun & Death of a Salesman-related resources

1966 production of Arthur Miller's play from Films-on-Demand starring Gene Wilder, Lee J. Cobb and Mildred Dunnock.

In this exclusive interview, Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Arthur Miller speaks about his life and career. Beginning in New York, Miller traces his early years through the Great Depression, offering insights into how this lean time influenced his work. A portion of the program is devoted to a discussion of the 1950s McCarthy hearings and their impact on the development of Miller’s masterwork, The Crucible. Film excerpts from Death of a Salesman, After the Fall, and A View from the Bridge are interwoven with Miller’s observations on the political and poetic nature of his plays and on the art of writing. A BBC Production. (76 minutes)

A $10,000 insurance benefit creates conflicting dreams within a Chicago ghetto family. Son, Walter Lee wants to start his own business while his mom wishes to spend her days in a little house of her own. Their love a bond, their warmhearted humor a breath of fresh air, their tenative hold on dignity - their lifeline. A family caught between the reality of their surroundings and a chance at a piece of the American dream.

Hosted by Eric Stoltz, this program dissects Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun through the sharp insights of Joe Morton (Walter Lee Younger); Kim Yancey (Beneatha Younger); Phylicia Rashad (Lena Younger); Ruby Dee, Audra McDonald, Starletta DuPois, and Ernestine Jackson (Ruth Younger); Ralph Carter (Travis Younger); John Fiedler (Carl Lindner); directors Lloyd Richards and Jack Hofsiss; Broadway producer Philip Rose; and Hansberry expert Lynn Domina, author of Understanding A Raisin in the Sun: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. The first play to realistically portray the daily lives of a contemporary African-American family, Raisin—a revolutionary work about race written during the civil rights era—makes the universal statement that dreams of a better future are important to everyone. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (51 minutes)