Waiting for Lefty
Every now and then an innovative play will come a long and astound the theatre world. Sometimes the play will triumph for pleasant or ghastly reasons, but only a choice few will be earmarked as an immortal classic. The plays that end up being a classic are plays that frequently focus on a universal and ageless topic that will help this play attain the enduring excellence that qualifies it as a landmark masterpiece. One such play is "Waiting for Lefty", written by Clifford Odets in 1935.In "Waiting for Lefty", Clifford Odets tells the story of a taxicab strike in 1934. Clifford Odets wrote the play in three days in a hotel room. The taxi strike had enormous political consequences for America in 1935. America was just recovering from the Great Depression and everyone was suffering. The farmers were suffering and starving but it was the workingman, the common man, the taxi driver who was crippled the most as unemployment rose in New York City. Working for less than what they were worth, the taxicab drivers went on strike. Although the play is set after the Great Depression in 1935, the play does more than dealing with the plight of taxicab workers. Clifford Odets uses his mastery of dramatic
And again, when Edna turns the subject to Joe's boss who, she says, is "creating all these problems that they have" . Joe tells her she'll wake the children, but she says she only wants to wake him up. I'm not mentioning anything else-but we're stalled like a fliver in the snow. They sit on stage throughout every scene in a silhouette as a constant reminder of why they are there. It is a persuasive and gripping play with a universal theme. While "Waiting for Lefty" may not be a classic to some, it never set out to be the talk of the town either. The nation was questioning the social structures and economic factors in place. Symbolism was another tool used by Odets to add to the dramatic structure. According to Odets there are no easy solution for the problems facing the striking workers, and even the audience gets the impression that there may be no easy answer but to strike. In the end the audience is moved by the words. This play deserves to be listed as a classic. "Waiting for Lefty" explores a universal problem even though its focus is mainly on the plight of a taxicab strike. The fruit is just another symbol of something Joe and Edna cannot attain. Secondly, Odets further success in conveying his themes in "Waiting for Lefty" is achieved through agitprop. .
Common topics in this essay:
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Acceptance Essays
