Waiting for Lefty
at The New School of Northern Virginia

Reviewed on March 11, 2016

Lydia Gompper
George Mason High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

As the musician and activist Joe Hill wrote, "There is power in the union." From factory workers to coal miners to taxi drivers, American history has shown us that there is power in even the littlest men on the corporate ladder, if only they stand together. This power was compellingly illustrated in The New School of Northern Virginia's production of "Waiting for Lefty."

"Waiting for Lefty," written in 1935 by the American playwright Clifford Odets, follows a group of New York taxi drivers as they plan a labor strike in the midst of the Great Depression. Presented in a series of vignettes, the play sheds a light on the plight of the working class as the characters deal with debilitating poverty, corporate mistreatment, religious discrimination, and more. However, despite these dark themes, the play offers hope: in the face of oppression, there is power in unity.

The New School's production of "Waiting for Lefty" was supported by a strong, cohesive ensemble of performers. Every member of the cast was clearly invested and in touch with the play's emotional and social implications. With a stark set and a small venue that provided an intimate closeness to the audience, the show offered a hard-hitting sense of honesty.

Among the performance's greatest strengths was its use of popular music from the early 20th century, an addition unique to The New School's production of the play. The songs, such as "There's Power in the Union" (1913) and "There's No Depression in Heaven" (1932), highlighted the show's themes and allowed for a particularly dynamic, intriguing performance. Many of the production's most memorable moments were those performed in song. These added musical numbers were accompanied by "The Left Corner Band," an excellent student orchestra, whose instrumental performance held a striking, emotive beauty.

As a true ensemble production, "Waiting for Lefty" offered the opportunity for several actors and actresses to make an impression. One onstage standout was Jean Bayer, who gave admirable performances both as Edna, the frustrated wife of an impoverished taxi driver, and as Miller, a young woman who leaves her previous job after being asked to sacrifice her integrity. Bayer performed with an incredible maturity and emotional depth, giving a wonderful sense of truth to a production that is so deeply rooted in reality. She also impressed with her warm, jazzy singing voice in musical numbers such as "You Make Me Love You."

Other commendable performances included those by Lowell Weissman and Sam Howard. Weissman excelled both as the rich, manipulative Fayette and as the defiant target of discrimination Dr. Benjamin. Weissman gave a phenomenal amount of dedication to his performance, and succeeded in clearly differentiating between his two roles. Even in ensemble scenes, his continual commitment to his every action made him stand out amongst the crowd. Howard, meanwhile, added some well-timed comic relief to the otherwise heavy show as the fiery Reilly. His lengthy monologue, in which he outed another character as a "company spy," had the audience cackling with laughter.

The New School of Northern Virginia's production of "Waiting for Lefty" was an uncommonly moving commentary on American society, oppression, and the strength of coalition. Offering an unusual perspective and a fascinating depth of thought, it was certainly an artistic success, and a night well spent.

Yvonne Nguyen
Hayfield Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

Hopelessness and desperation abound during the gut-wrenching times of the Great Depression, especially for those struggling to support a family. However, for a rag-tag group of spirited taxi drivers, the spirit of rebellion and the vision of a brighter future are enough to bring about talk of a strike. Buckling under the heavy burden of America's economic woes while simultaneously invigorated by the echoes of change, a small union of taxi drivers meets to discuss their options and lament their own Great Depression stories. Told through an enthralling series of vignettes, Waiting for Lefty is a unique piece of theatre, chronicling a dark time in America's past. Performed by The New School of Northern Virginia, Waiting for Lefty proved how theatre does not only exist in the most traditional sense.

Written in 1935 by Clifford Odets, Waiting for Lefty is a play told through a series of inter-related scenes. Waiting for Lefty also maintains the premise of a meeting of taxi cab drivers. Using the audience as members of this meeting, the play has a personal tone. Waiting for Lefty became popular after it was staged by the Group Theatre in New York, eventually leading to its premiere on Broadway.

As the lights go up, actors slowly trickle onto the stage, going about seemingly normal activities, such as dancing, conversing, and reading the newspaper. As a sort-of pre-scene moment, the actors continue this moment in silence for about ten minutes. This interesting display of physical acting helped to really set the atmosphere of the production. While enunciation was sometimes an issue for some actors, the entire cast of the show managed to stay engaged throughout the duration of the play, even in moments when they were not directly involved with a particular vignette. The ensemble always found convincing stage business to attend to, while remaining energetic and dedicated.

An early stand-out in the show was Lowell Weissman (Fayette/Dr. Benjamin). Weissman distinguished himself early in the show by being completely committed to his character. In his roles as Fayette and Dr. Benjamin he made clear vocal distinctions, taking on different accents and inflections in order to distinctly separate the two. Weissman also used his physicality in order to paint the power dynamic between his character and his fellow actors.

Jean Bayer (Edna/Miller) showcased her multi-faceted talents. Not only was she a focused actress, but she displayed a fantastic singing voice as well. Bayer's ability to sing while portraying important emotions to the audience was a difficult feat, yet she appeared to accomplish it with ease.

The New School of Northern Virginia made an interesting choice when they chose to incorporate music into Waiting for Lefty, which was originally a play. The addition of the music was vital in setting the atmosphere of the play, and the musicians on the stage only added to the quality of the performance. Also contributing the atmosphere of the show was the minimalistic set and the clean lighting. The set was done in a bare-bones fashion, which was fitting for the time period.

Waiting for Lefty is a play that is not often performed by high school Students. Yet, the students of The New School of Northern Virginia were able to pull it off with finesse and originality. In a creative display of talent, The New School demonstrated how theatre does not have to be theatrical, but can also be intimate and simplistic.

Gillian Wright
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - Fairfax

Bluesy music first drifted across the stage. Then murmuring began among the actors, only audible enough for tantalizing snippets of conversation to entice audience members. Swaying to the music gave way to dancing, then singing began to accompany the dance, until the song ended with a mob of performers stomping their feet and threatening to strike. The New School of Northern Virginia's performance of "Waiting for Lefty" explored a time of protest long before the Black Lives Matter movement and Occupy Wall street, when taxi drivers were the people on strike, demanding higher wages.

Written in the heart of the Great Depression, Clifford Odets' "Waiting for Lefty" examines the permeating effects of economic hardship on interpersonal relationships. Odets published his play in 1935, having loosely based the story on events that occurred in New York the previous year. The play unfolds through a series of vignettes, using varied perspectives to impart on the audience a complete picture of life in the Depression. While the plotline of each scene is different, the work as a whole tells the story of a union of urban taxi drivers. Many of the cabbies are so frustrated by financial plight that they want to strike, but union leaders discourage this idea, which leads to increased tension over the course of the show.

Jean Bayer, who played Edna and Miller, was a constant presence onstage, skilfully portraying a wide range of emotions through her roles. As Edna, wife of a taxi driver, her desperation with poverty manifested first in violence then grief until she succumbed to acceptance of her family's circumstances. Next playing Miller, Bayer displayed stoic fortitude as she refused to accept higher pay for a job that violated her ethics. Alongside Kamryn Leoncavallo and Mary Beth Doebel, Bayer sang exquisitely during scene transitions, intensifying the sorrowful atmosphere.

Leoncavallo gave a compelling performance as Florrie, longtime fiancee of Sid (Seth Haskell), a cab driver. First resolute as she argued with her brother, Irv (Nathan Grover), Leoncavallo's demeanor softened when tenderly interacting with Haskell, who in turn used creative movements and sentimental expressions to show his love for his fiancee.

Lowell Weissman talentedly portrayed two characters of opposite personalities. Playing Fayette, his initial persona, Weissman was shrewd and calculating as he strove to persuade Miller (Jean Bayer) to accept a confidential position. Later as Dr. Benjamin, Weissman argued convincingly to save a charitable hospital ward.

While two-person scenes were palpable with emotion, sentimentality dispersed during ensemble pieces, allowing for humorous moments. Sam Howard, who played union member Reilly, led an especially memorable bit when he outed fraudulent union leader Clayton (Joe Neff), who continued to the comedic moment as he scurried offstage.

A minimalist scenic setting with rustic, period-appropriate furniture and props subtly enabled the stories and performances without ever being distracting. The Left Corner Band, an ensemble of student musicians with a particularly impressive violinist, played accompaniment during and between scenes to excellent effect.

Through music, motion, and moving monologues, the New School of Northern Virginia produced a powerful rendition of "Waiting for Lefty," leaving the audience to ponder a timeless question: when it comes down to business or family, which side are you on?

Katie Pruitt
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to Connection

These workers are angry. Really angry. They're downtrodden and starving. They're barely surviving the worst economic downturn in recent memory. They scream for better jobs. They clamor for higher wages. They want freedom from the greedy one-percenters who treat their workers' lives as sparks to be extinguished. No, this isn't a story ripped from today's front page New York Times. It's the New School of Northern Virginia's socially-conscious production of the Depression-era play, Waiting for Lefty.

Waiting for Lefty was written by Clifford Odets in 1935. Odets, a student of theatrical realism, based the play on an actual New York City taxi drivers' strike, casting both the actors and the audience as attendees at a union meeting. Waiting for Lefty opened in a black box theater on Broadway in 1935 to great public acclaim. Crowds adored its intimate setting and were swept up in its stirring message.

The play is told in a series of vignettes, each one showing the unique challenges that the union members face. The actors were challenged with several complex themes. Generally, they stepped up to the occasion. Jean Bayer stood out as Edna, a union wife who tries to convince her weary husband (Stefan Parrott) to demand a strike. The audience, seated just a few feet away from Bayer, could sense the electricity— in her movement, in her voice, in her eyes— as she paced up and down the stage, debating whether to leave her husband. Bayer was equally strong as Miller, a lab assistant faced with an ethical dilemma of massive proportions. Likewise, Lowell Weissman handled two roles with finesse. As greedy industrialist Fayette, he was conniving and despicable. As spurned scientist Dr. Benjamin, he was earnest and optimistic. Kamryn Leoncavallo displayed a strong range of emotions as Florrie, whose taxi driver fiancé (Seth Haskell) can't afford to support her on his measly salary. As fiery union member Reilly, Sam Howard called the audience to action in a rousing speech. Though some actors struggled with diction and occasionally appeared uncomfortable on-stage, the cast generally handled the challenging material well.

Director Steve Elm chose to incorporate 30's music between scenes, a choice that made the themes of the play all the more resonant. The songs, from the classic lament "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" to the union chant "There's Power in the Union," were beautifully executed by both the actors and by a small, student-led band. The female singers, led by Jean Bayer, were particularly strong, belting out a stunning rendition of "God Bless the Child" that would impress even Billie Holiday herself. Near the end of the show, the cast led the audience in "Which Side Are You On?" an experience that reminded the audience of the difficult position unions maintained in the recent past.

The sets and lights contributed to the overall minimalist aesthetic of the show. A few chairs and a table were successfully manipulated to evoke a new location with each vignette. A single spotlight in the center of the stage was used to differentiate the vignettes from the meeting, making it easier to follow the story. Small flourishes, like authentic newspapers, and the actors' period costumes accentuated the Depression-era feel.

Though Waiting for Lefty was written over eighty years ago, its themes—of economic hardship, solidarity, and equality— transcend time. In its production of the play, the New School of Northern Virginia reminded the audience of the importance of these themes, not only to a 30's taxi union meeting but also in our modern world.

Zeal An
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

As the lights went up, a small band began playing classic 30's tunes. One by one, people filed onto the stage, exchanged hellos, and slow danced to the music. This cheery introduction to the show belied the tension and intensity that would soon fill the auditorium in the New School of Northern Virginia's production of Waiting for Lefty.

Written in 1935 by Clifford Odets, Waiting for Lefty consists of seven related vignettes. The vignettes follow the members of a union of taxi drivers as they consider going on strike for higher wages. Written in the midst Great Depression, the play reflects innovations in theatre associated with the decade, including a sparse set and audience interaction. Although Waiting for Lefty was written as a play, the New School of Northern Virginia's production added period songs interspersed with the acted scenes, to contribute to the show's atmosphere and illuminate its themes.

A standout among the play's ensemble cast was Jean Bayer, playing Edna, the wife of a union worker, and Miller, a lab assistant who refuses to spy on a superior. Her characterizations of the two characters were distinct: brashly berating her husband as the feisty Edna, stubbornly refusing to sacrifice her morals as Miller. Her sultry jazz voice also shone during the show's songs. Her singing evoked classic recordings of 1930's standards and fit in well with the show's mood.

Also notable was Lowell Weissman, also playing two roles: the chemist Fayette and the benevolent Dr. Benjamin. Weissman, too, took on the challenge of creating two different characters by transforming his body language to distinguish both roles with a prowess unmatched by some other actors. An additional standout despite his minor role, Sam Howard excelled in his short monologue as Reilly, a union worker who exposes a union buster. His performance throughout the play was exaggerated and lively, a refreshing break from the tension of some of the play's vignettes.

For actors across the board, enunciation could be hit-or-miss, but they projected well, audible throughout the space of their small theatre. Their intense performances, especially in songs, engaged the audience members and seemingly brought them into the union's meeting, in the spirit of the show's intended audience interaction. Additionally, the songs that the New School's production added were skillfully performed by a small live orchestra, which accompanied the actors' singing beautifully.

Waiting For Lefty is a product of its time: filled with the resentment and shattered dreams of the Great Depression. The New School of Northern Virginia's production captured this sentiment with an evocative spirit that engrossed the audience from the beginning.