Clifford Odets had a vision of what the great depression was doing to families and businesss around the U.S. He wanted to portray that in a play where he could do a first of its kind and have the audience as a part in the play. In 1935 Clifford Odets first play to be produced was Waiting for lefty. It was a controversial play about the depression in the mid 1930s that was all one act with seven different scenes. It was something that every person in the audience could relate to in each scene because it was what they all were experiencing together.
It faced its harsh times direct and offered its audience a inspiring vision of hope. In this sense Waiting for Lefty is seen as an important dramatic work that offers historical evidence of the social power and aspirations of theatre.
The actual theater itself I can picture to be small and cozy with wide eyed faces in the audience, ready to interact with the characters they all know too much about. The props are small for there really isnt any need of money when your play is about poverty. A few scenes with chairs and maybe a cut-out taxi cab. This shows us that they were there to tell a story and not have a fancy production of a far fetched future ahead of them.
One act that specifically stood out in my mind was the one of Edna and Joe and also the opening scene when Joe was talking to the other cab drivers and Fatt was behind him, he said Whats this crap about goin home to hot suppers? Im asking to your faces how manys got hot suppers to go home to? Anyone whos sure of his next meal, raise your hand! A certain gent sitting behind me can raise them both. But not in front here! And thats why were talking strike- to get a living wage! I feel that this scene says a lot about Fatt himself and how the workers feel about him. These men have families and they need to go to them with nothing. This ultimately makes them feel inadequate and that they cant even provide for there families.
The second scene and my most favorite of the play was when Joe and Edna were talking. I feel this entire scene has so much power behind it to because this is a couple who cant afford to even eat but still try to maintain a stable family life. The line Im referring to is when Edna and Joe are standing in the living room and there is no more furniture, Dont yell. I just put the kids to bed so they wont know they missed a meal. If I dont have Emmys shoes soled tomorrow, she cant go to school. In the meantime let her sleep. Throughout this whole argument Edna is sticking up for her children and letting her husband know that she wont stand for living like this anymore.
Odets portrays assertive and domineering women like Edna and Florence as the center of families in the age of the depression. Women in the plays are always fighting poverty in any way they can. The mothers often dominate the lives of their children and attempt to dictate rich futures for both their sons and daughters. In the case of Florence and Irv she is a strong spoken women, and I feel that in the 30s women werent that outspoken to men. They really didnt have any say or rights back then so to see these women stand up to there husband and brother must have been interesting to watch.
One thing I was concerned about was who were these types of people attending the shows? If so many people were struggling this must have been a crowd that could still afford some sort of entertainment. In reference to the movie Cinderella Man, the theme was also The Great Depression and there type of entertainment was boxing and betting. This must be what people had to escape the reality of having nothing. They looked for hope and in this play they saw a future that was bright and more stable.
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