WAITING FOR LEFTY Opens 9/30 At Wagner Theater

Wagner College Theatre launches its 2009-10 season with Clifford Odets' American classic, "Waiting for Lefty." This fast-paced, emotionally charged drama offers insight into life during the Great Depression.

Set in New York City, a crowd of taxi unionists awaits the arrival of its spokesman, Lefty, to resolve the matter of whether or not to strike. While the taxi drivers wait, they share stories - at the same time heartbreaking and inspiring - of the reality facing friends, families, lovers and colleagues during one of the nation's most difficult periods.

Playwright Clifford Odets was born of humble beginnings to Jewish immigrant parents in Philadelphia. Raised in the Bronx, the high-school dropout became an actor, playwright, screenwriter, director and social activist. "Waiting for Lefty" brought Odets fame and fortune. Despite being criticized as a socialist propagandizer, Odets maintained that all his plays dealt with the perseverance of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Director David McDonald, Wagner College Theatre's head of voice, felt the play speaks to today's audience.

"The relevance will be understood because the parallels [between then and now] are so numerous," McDonald said.

Cast members include seniors Sarah Tranchina, Kevin Callaghan, Caitlyn McGee and Tavis Doucette, along with more than a dozen other Wagner students.

"Waiting for Lefty" plays for two weeks starting Sept. 30. Performances run Wednesday through Saturday, Sept. 30 through Oct. 3, and Oct. 7 through 10. Showtime is 8 p.m. in Wagner College's Stage One studio theater, next to Seahawk Stadium, at 631 Howard Ave., Grymes Hill, Staten Island.
Reservations can be made at the Wagner College Box Office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Call 718-390-3259, or e-mail boxoffice@wagner.edu.