Waiting For Lefty

Clifford Odets powerful drama inspired by the American labor movement centers on a taxicab strike in New York.

“The acting is superb!  Charlie Mount directs this very accomplished cast to numerous moments of brilliance.” – Performing Arts LIVE


“Waiting For Lefty” (1935) was the first-produced play of activist writer Clifford Odets. It was presented on Broadway by the Group Theatre, a company devoted to honing the talents of its actors and dedicated to developing new works for the American stage…..much like Theatre West.

But “Waiting For Lefty” is a classic, and is a Chestnuts production. Chestnuts is the division of the theatre devoted to keeping alive important classics of theatrical literature. Chestnuts was founded by Charlie Mount, who produces and directs the current show. He recently scored two major hits at Theatre West, directing “Gaslight” (for Chestnuts) and “Acting: The First Six Lessons” (Beau and Emily Bridges’ new adaptation of Richard Boleslavsky’s book).

“Waiting For Lefty” takes place at a union meeting of New York taxi drivers, where the cabbies contemplate a strike. It’s really a corrupt company union, and the cabbies will never get anywhere unless they form their own honest union. They await the arrival of Lefty, their elected chairman. Meanwhile, Odets lets the audience look at intimate details of the lives of the people affected by the shattered economy: A cab driver whose wife threatens to leave him unless he stands up for himself; A lab assistant is asked by his boss to spy on an important chemist; A cabbie and his girl friend want to marry, but he doesn’t make enough money to support a family; A company spy is uncovered at the union meeting; A doctor is fired due to the anti-Semitic policies of his hospital, which also plans to close its charity ward.

The play makes its unsubtle point: That everything good and decent that has ever happened for the American worker occurred because brave men and women who worked for a living risked their personal safety, organized, formed unions, and demanded that the bosses give them fair compensation for an honest day’s work.Unite and fight. Sixty-five years later, the message still resounds in the state of California, in a chronic condition of economic danger. It’s no coincidence that Theatre West is opening this show on Labor Day weekend.

The cast of “Waiting For Lefty” includes David Baer, Charles Baird, Heather Becker, Walter Beery, Elizabeth Bradshaw, Adam Conger, Roger Cruz, Alan Freeman, Jason Galloway, Anthony Gruppuso, Paul Gunning, Heather Keller, Daniel Keough, Don Moore, Alan Schack, Sandra Tucker and Kristin Wiegand.

Set design: Jeff Rack. Lighting design: Yancey Dunham.

Odets (1906-1963) left behind a legacy of classics for the stage (“Awake and Sing!,” “Clash by Night,” “Rocket to the Moon,” “The Country Girl,” “The Big Knife,” “Golden Boy,” “The Flowering Peach”) and screen (“The Sweet Smell of Success,” “Wild in the Country,” the latter starring Elvis Presley as a troubled youth). The contention between the hard worker and the exploitive boss was a recurring theme in Odets’ work.

WHAT: “Waiting For Lefty.” The classic play.

WHO: Written by Clifford Odets. Produced and directed by Charlie Mount. A Chestnuts production.

Presented by Theatre West. Theatre West Executive Director: John Gallogly.






Presenter / Producer: Chestnuts & Theatre West

Listed Categories
Theater > Drama


Event Phone: 323-851-7977

Venue
Theatre West
3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West
Los Angeles CA 90068

Regions:
LA - Hollywood / Westside
LA - NoHo, Valley & Ventura


Performance Dates: 9/3/2010 - 10/10/2010

Friday, 09/03/2010 Saturday, 09/04/2010 Sunday, 09/05/2010 Friday, 09/10/2010 Saturday, 09/11/2010 Sunday, 09/12/2010 Friday, 09/17/2010 Saturday, 09/18/2010 Sunday, 09/19/2010 Friday, 09/24/2010 Saturday, 09/25/2010 Sunday, 09/26/2010 Friday, 10/01/2010 Saturday, 10/02/2010 Sunday, 10/03/2010 Friday, 10/08/2010 Saturday, 10/09/2010 Sunday, 10/10/2010

Performance Times
Fri. & Sat. at 8, Sun. at 2.

Ticket Information:
General admission: $22. Premium seating (first four rows) $25. Seniors (65+) and veterans (with ID) $17. Current military (with ID) $11. KCRW members (with ID) $18. Students (25 and under with ID) $5. Except for the Opening Night September 3 performance, when all seats will be $27 (includes reception).

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