ARTVOICE MAGAZINE REVIEW 1/31/08
THEATERWEEK
by Anthony Chase
"WAITING FOR LEFTY"
The acting in the New Phoenix Theatre
Company/Subversive Theatre Collective production of Clifford Odets Waiting
for Lefty is thrilling. Originally performed by the legendary
Group Theater in 1935, during a golden age of American acting, the play is
brimming with opportunities for actors to strut their stuff. In this
production, no opportunity is wasted.
Waiting for Lefty takes place at a meeting of a cab drivers
union where a strike is being discussed. The charismatic union leader, Lefty,
is inexplicably late. As the situation between labor and management is
argued, union members expressionistically act out scenes from their personal
lives that highlight the need for better pay and working conditions.
This is far more entertaining than it might sound.
The Group Theater boasted an oddly generous number of pioneers of the
American theater: Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford, Lee Strasberg, Stella
Adler, Elia Kazan, Sanford Meisner, Lee J. Cobb, Howard Da Silva. This
remarkable group of young friends aspired to the highest standards of
theatrical excellence and their self-confidence knew no limitations. The
Subversive Theatre Collective seems to share that attribute, and after a
number of energetic forays into the arena, their efforts appear to be coming
together in this production. The level of commitment to the work is
exhilarating.
Of Odets plays, Waiting for Lefty is among the more
formulaic and lacks the dramatic and psychological complexity of Awake
and Sing, also first produced in 1935. The script would seem to
be made to order, however, for this theater group. There are numerous
roles and the script is organized into brief scenes, allowing these players a
chance to showcase their talent.
Under the direction of Kurt Schneiderman, the scene work is meticulous,
nuanced and detailed. Richard Lambert and Kate LoConti, among the most
seasoned members of the cast, excel as a husband and wife whose marriage and
family life is jeopardized by poverty. Impressive work is also
contributed by Sarah Brown and Jeffrey Coyle, Hasheen DeBerry, Victor Morales
and Bill Schmidt. The riches are plentiful.
With slight and forgivable departures from historic accuracy, the set by
Dyan OConnell, costumes by Kate Palame and properties by Virginia Brannon
successfully transport us to a union hall in 1935.
The question continues to surface: Does Buffalo have too many theaters?
With the emergence of this first rate production by a relative newcomer to the
scene, I would have to answer, Not for me! Waiting for
Lefty is captivating, provocative and enormously engaging. If
Subversive Theatre Collective can begin to attract an audience, they could be
a welcome presence on the scene for years to come.
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