Anna Maria Horsford (Lena Younger-Mama)

I am going to cast Anna Maria Horsford as Lena Younger (Mama). I have chosen this actress to play as Mama because her physical appearance indicates the play's description of this character, except for her hair, which can be dyed white. Mama is on her early 60's, full-bodied and strong.  She has grace and beauty, but doesn't try to show it. She has a dark brown face, which is full of strength. Mama has wit and faith and we can see that through her lit eyes that is filled with expectations. She has a careless speech but a soft voice (p. 1045). Her biggest motivation is her Christian family, who are middle class/working people (p.1061). She is constantly trying to fix everything. When things are not going well and her family is falling apart, Mama decides to buy a house for them (p.1046/8). When she sees that Walter is upset for not having the money to buy the liquor store, she decides to give him part of the insurance money to make him happy. Mama also wanted to show Walter that she trusted him as a man of the house by asking him to deposit Beneatha's school money (p. 1063). She always wanted a garden, which is a symbol that represents her because she is a life giver. Just like plants grow in a garden, Mama constantly shows that she wants life to keep growing (p.1060). When someone goes against her faith or demands, she becomes filled with rage and anger and gets physical. For instance, Mama slaps Beneatha when she says there is no God (p.1049).  She beats Walter after finding out Willie Harris has escaped with all of the money she has given to Walter (p.1069).