Fresh Air Weekend: 'Raisin In The Sun,' 'Orange Is The New Black,' China's 'Ambition'

Fresh Air

Published June 7, 2014 at 8:03 AM CDT

Denzel Washington plays Walter Lee, the role played by Sidney Poitier in the 1959 Broadway production of<em> A Raisin in the Sun</em>. Sophie Okonedo, known for her Academy Award nomination for <em>Hotel Rwanda,</em> plays Ruth Younger in her New York stage debut. — Denzel Washington plays Walter Lee, the role played by Sidney Poitier in the 1959 Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun. Sophie Okonedo, known for her Academy Award nomination for *Hotel Rwanda,* plays Ruth Younger in her New York stage debut.

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors, and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

'Raisin In The Sun' Revival: A Uniquely American Story Is Back On Broadway: Denzel Washington and LaTanya Richardson Jackson star in the latest production of the play, which debuted in 1959. The revival's run is nearing its end — and Jackson says she's "in tears."

New Season Of 'Orange Is The New Black' Has A Strong, Unsettling Start: Netflix's women-in-prison series, based on a memoir by Piper Kerman, returns Friday. Fresh Air listens back to interviews with Kerman and series creator Jenji Kohan.

A 'New Yorker' Writer's Take On China's 'Age Of Ambition': On the 25th anniversary of Tiananmen Square, author Evan Osnos discusses his new book that explores the tensions between China's economic expansion and its commitment to authoritarian rule.

You can listen to the original interviews here:

'Raisin In The Sun' Revival: A Uniquely American Story Is Back On Broadway

New Season Of 'Orange Is The New Black' Has A Strong, Unsettling Start

A 'New Yorker' Writer's Take On China's 'Age Of Ambition