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Waiting for Lefty
Waiting for Lefty (1935), a play by Clifford Odets. [Longacre Theatre, 168 perf.] At a meeting of a taxi drivers' union, members await the return of their committee man, Lefty Costello. The union is addressed by several people who urge them not to strike but then is harangued by agitators, who depict capitalism as corrupt and smothering. After a series of flashbacks to different people affected by the company, news arrives that Lefty has been killed, tensions explode, and the drivers go on strike. At a time when many Americans were being polarized politically, this play was one of the most effective propaganda pieces for the left. It was initially offered by the Group Theatre at a series of special matinees. One of its producers, Cheryl Crawford, noted, “Never before or since have I heard such a tumultuous reaction from an audience. The response was wild, fantastic. It raised the roof.” The play was later moved to Broadway. Although it was tremendously popular for a time with radical groups, it is now perceived as too simplistic to have lasting merit.
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Cite this article
Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Waiting for Lefty." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Waiting for Lefty." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-WaitingforLefty.html Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Waiting for Lefty." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-WaitingforLefty.html |
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Waiting for Lefty
Waiting for Lefty, short play by Clifford Odets, produced by the Group Theatre in 1935 and published the same year.
Members of the taxicab drivers' union meet to decide whether or not to strike, and while they await the arrival of the popular committeeman Lefty Costello, they are addressed by the capitalist agent Harry Fatt, who attempts to discourage the plan. Six blackout scenes show the causes of the strike in terms of injustice, corrupt practices, and personal tragedy: Joe and Edna and The Young Hack and His Girl depict estrangement and frustration resulting from economic difficulties; Lab Assistant Episode and Interne Episode show demoralized capitalistic ethics; The Young Actor demonstrates the unequal conflict between art and commercialism; and Labor Spy Episode presents the perjured evidence of a bribed witness. The labor leader Agate Keller confutes the spy's testimony, and, when a messenger arrives to report the murder of Lefty, arouses the men's fighting spirit and leads them in declaring the strike. |
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Cite this article
James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Waiting for Lefty." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Waiting for Lefty." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-WaitingforLefty.html James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Waiting for Lefty." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-WaitingforLefty.html |
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