Waiting for Lefty and Other Plays

by Clifford Odets

One of the most celebrated and significant plays of the modern American Theatre. The action of the play is comprised of a series of varied, imaginatively conceived episodes, that blend into a powerful and stirring mosaic. The opening scene is a hiring hall where a union leader (obviously in the pay of the bosses) is trying to convince a committee of workers (who are waiting for their leader, Lefty, to arrive) not to strike. This is followed by a moving confrontation between a discouraged taxi driver, who cannot earn enough to live on, and his angry wife, who wants him to show some backbone and stand up to his employer; a revealing scene between a scheming boss and the young worker who refuses to spy on his fellow employees; a sad/funny episode centering on a young cabbie and his would-be bride, who lack the wherewithal to get married; a disturbing scene involving a senior doctor and the underpaid young intern (a labor activist) whom the doctor has been ordered to discharge; and, finally, a return to the union hall where the workers, learning that Lefty has been gunned down by the powers-that-be, resolve at last to stand up for their rights and to strike – and to stay off their jobs until their grievances are finally heard and acted upon by those who have so cynically exploited and misused them.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre, Politics, Literature, Fiction

418 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Clifford Odets (July 18, 1906 – August 14, 1963) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. Odets was born in Philadelphia to Louis Odets (born Gorodetsky) and Pearl Geisinger, Russian- and Romanian-Jewish immigrants, and raised in Philadelphia and the Bronx, New York. He dropped out of high school after two years to become an actor. In 1931, he became a founding member of the Group Theatre, a highly influential New York theatre company that utilized an acting technique new to the United States. This technique was based on the system devised by the Russian actor and director Constantin Stanislavski. It was further developed by Group Theatre director Lee Strasberg and became known as The Method or Method Acting. Odets eventually became the Group's primary playwright.

Reviews

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read "Awake and Sing", it was a pretty generic play, honestly. Nothing happened that I didn't expect to happen. I really appreciated the language though, the Bronx accents made it happen for me.

[David Ressel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really hate having to get rid of these old books. all the movie/theater stuff is being shipped off..
one last read...

Especially in today's environment there should be a revival of all these works. Do people think they are dated?
Waiting for Lefty indeed...i guess even though he really wasn't that radical too far left for today. But love the passion. and the street talk.

[Courtney Ferriter · Rating 2 out of 5]

** 2.5 stars **

The six plays in this collection by Clifford Odets, who was most celebrated for his work as an American playwright in the 1930s and 40s, varied wildly in quality for me. Here's how I would rank them individually:
Till the Day I Die (4 stars)
Golden Boy (3.5 stars)
Rocket to the Moon (3 stars)
Waiting for Lefty, Awake & Sing, and Paradise Lost (all 2 stars)

The plays above I rated 3 stars or higher all focus on human relationships and why people make the choices they do. Odets is mostly successful in his explorations of human nature here and occasionally has moments of great insight. The plays I rated 2 stars all share in common a focus on socialism and left-wing politics. While I personally agree with much of Odets' political sensibilities, his focus on politics in these plays derails character development and capturing the nuances of human relationships and interactions. The only exception for me was Till the Day I Die, which manages to espouse particular political sympathies while also exploring relationships between people. If you have a specific interest in agitprop/political theater, then by all means, this would be a good collection to read (although neither Golden Boy nor Rocket to the Moon are good exemplars of this dramatic style). If, like me, you are more moved by the dynamics of human interaction, then I would recommend instead a playwright like Eugene O'Neill, Arthur Miller, or Tennessee Williams.

[basker ville · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scintillating time travel to 1930s.
I, however, skipped Paradise Lost. It was too way to many characters to constantly look up. I think these plays in this selection of Clifford Odets work better as a table read (as any multi character plays). My favorite would definitely have to be Golden Boy and Awake and Sing!
I gathered that 30s middle class really had to live in a secluded tribe of a tenement and constantly worry about money. I didn’t understand the prescence of the rich uncle in Awake and Sing. Why doesn’t give a job or two to the rest of the family. Reading these plays back to back kind of makes all the characters and settings blend together; as one big kitchen sink drama.
Mr. Prince from Rocket to the Moon was the most quotable.
These are my favorite zingers of his. They are absolutely brilliant

“Always address your elders with respect. They could leave you a fortune.”
“Yes, certain man once said that in our youth we collect materials to build a bridge to the moon; but in our old age, he says, we use the materials to build a shack.”

[Wendy Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw a reading of Waiting for Lefty at Specs earlier this year and was very taken by it. Realized I ought to read his other plays as well. I'm glad I did: Waiting for Lefty is wonderful agitprop, but the other plays - sometimes derided on account of being less overtly political - I found to be equally moving. Maybe more so; they're more ambiguous, and therefore more human. Rocket to the Moon especially broke my heart.

[Ray LaManna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This classic American play is just as relevant today as it was when first performed in 1935... a family struggling with inner tensions and outside societal pressures. It's well worth the time to read it.

[Tom Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 'Awake and Sing!' from this collection for university. This was a great example of a play concerned with the themes of a lot of other plays at that time. I enjoyed the battle between idealism and realism, that was nice, and relevant now.

[deniz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sanki içinde bende varmışım gibi okudum.Sahneleyenlerden biriymişim gibi.Her türlü imkansızlığa karşı yine de direnmekten vazgeçmeyenleden biri gibi.

[Gregorio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would disagree with those that say Odets is dated. If anything, poverty and class has become more relevant than ever, and the basic undercurrent of feelings is still there.
Play by play, Waiting for Left and Awake and Sing! are the two best pieces in the collection, followed by Golden Boy. The other three are fine and worth the read, but if you've been exposed to American media a lot of the tropes and the ideas Odets used back then are the norm now-- which is interesting if you are studying stereotypical storytelling, as a lot of these stories have what we consider now common. Rocky movies? Check. Underground Nazi rebellions? check. The two plays that are out of the norm are Awake and Sing! and Rocket to the Moon (which didn't personally interest me that much, but I feel it is well written). Overall, worth approaching with a mind that isn't focused on the texts being "outdated," but rather relevant in the feelings and the subject of class differences.

[Rolls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clifford Odets is so identified with the turbulent thirties that people might avoid his work for fear that it is dated. While the Marxism his characters espouse can sometimes comes off as jejune, before the arrival of Tennesee Williams upon the Broadway scene, Odets' dialogue was the American theatre's finest. If this was all Odets had to offer, his plays would still demand reading, re-reading and staging in this and future times. However Odets - a tue man of the theatre - filled his plays with characters that passionately choose life over death in words equal parts timeless poetry and pungent thirties argot. Don't be fooled! Odets is the real thing.

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

one of the famous plays from Agitprop theatre in 1930's US. Odets was a big shot at the time, one of those who established Group Theatre, (Lee Strasburg, Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford)... I like his theatre and I've translated two of his plays to Persian, "Waiting for Lefty" and "Awake and Sing"...


برای نقد و بررسی آثار کلیفورد اودتس، اینجا را بخوانید
http://www.ali-ohadi.com/global/index...

[Carlos Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection. Clifford Odets was considered one of the great dramatists of our time and the leading playwright to deal thoroughly with the social and political issues of those affected by the Great Depression in the 1930's. Great book for actors and drama majors or anyone interested in theater and the controversial and profound subject matter of the time.

[Leighann Asklar · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection. Odetts is a master of character and his dialogue, though it sometimes borders on cliche, somehow works with the characters he's created. "Rocket to the Moon" and "Awake and Sing" are my favorites.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems old fashioned at first but there are many pertinent ideas that are timeless. It is also very interesting linguistically. For those looking for an easy read this is not for you but it does paint a good picture of America during the depression era.

[Rowena · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is for waiting for lefty. it was ok, the setup was interesting, i don't really remember much of it, i think some of the dialogue was strange or the situations were kind of unbelievable. i am not really a fan of agitprop i guess.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one of my favorite playwrites. Simplistic yet fantastic.

[Debs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taught it. Does it stand up to a 21st century critique? No. Is it a fabulous classroom tool? Yes. Do I wish this earnest writing still existed SOMEWHERE? Yes.

[Lauryn]

I love Odets. Just read "Lefty" again--makes me want to stand up and shout!

[Alyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

good short read about labor relations. Always very topical. I would like to see a production of this...

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it a lot since I performed this play in school.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Awake and Sing

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a couple of plays from this collection in a class with Vivian at Alma. Loved the class, wasn't exactly crazy about Clifford, but I see his perspective.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Nothing like some commie literature to warm the heart. It got a little preachy in the last episode, but it was still a great play.

[Andy]

he didn't show

[Alexis Fedor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just the creme-DE-la-creme of the Depression era playwrights. Amazingly insightful, tragic, daunting, beautiful lyricism.

[Lance Lusk · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Waiting for 'Lefty' was decent for a dated snapshot. 'Awake and Sing!' is a much more well-rounded, stronger play, and the best of this collection.

[Bob Mabbitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful and timely. 1930s were a golden age of American slang and Odets has an expert ear for it.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read "Golden Boy" and I really enjoyed it, but I'm hoping to read some of the other plays later.