Issue Date: 12/4/06
Play left audience waiting for more
By Ashely Ward
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It was performed in the Howard Brubeck Theatre from Nov. 10-19 and was written by Clifford Odets and directed by Francis Gercke.
"Waiting for Lefty" was a play about the Great Depression and how it affected the common man.
It was performed in different segments giving audience members a glimpse of each character's struggles.
After watching couples argue because of money, lay-offs, and other tough issues, it really gave the audience a sense of sympathy for the working class characters.
When the working class finally joined together to do something about these problems, they yelled, "Strike! Strike! Strike!"
The lights soon went off signaling that the scene was about to change; however to the audience's surprise, the actors came back out to take their bows. The play was over.
There's nothing worse than a cliffhanger, going to the movies and sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for something to happen, then the credits come on the screen.
Maybe there will be a "Waiting for Lefty 2," then we won't have to worry about Joe and Edna or any of the other characters, but for now, the ending is left up to the imagination.
Despite the fact that "Waiting for Lefty" was only 30 minutes long, it was a brilliant play.
All of the actors did an excellent job and they performed with a lot of emotion.
The costumes the characters wore and the stage props definitely took us back to the 1930s and it was easy to identify between the blue collared and the white collared.
One interesting aspect of "Waiting for Lefty" was that some of the working-class characters would stand in the audience and loudly comment to the other characters about the scene that was unfolding.
It sounded like the stage characters' thoughts and being spoken out loud. It was a unique twist that brought more attitude to the performance.
Before "Waiting for Lefty" started, a group of seven people called the "Union Folk Singers," sang and played guitar while the audience took their seats.
"Union Folk Singers" were another clever element to setting the scene for the rest of the play.
They played short songs throughout "Waiting for Lefty" and also during the end of the play.
"Waiting for Lefty" teaches how the common man fights against capitalism.
It was fascinating to go back in time and see the lives of people coping with the Great Depression.
"Waiting for Lefty" was an interesting and strong play, but something was missing. There should have been more.
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