Waiting for Leftyat Theatre WestReviewed by
Dink O'Neal
September 08, 2010 In a series of flashback vignettes during a contentious organizing rally among a group of full- and part-time metropolitan cab drivers who as the title intimates are waiting for their proposed leader, Odets condemns the pressures of poverty, sexism, and ethics. Among this cast of 16 are several nicely drawn characterizations under Mount's firm directorial hand. Kristin Wiegand is remarkable as the wife of one such cabbie, capturing the essence of Depression-era panic as she threatens and cajoles her husband, played by Paul Gunning, to stand up and fight the company for the sake of his children and their marriage. Donald Moore provides an excellent glimpse into the soul of a laboratory technician faced with a financially remunerative temptation, presented by Roger Cruz, whose turn as Moore's oily supervisor is first-rate. Jason Galloway wrenches the heart as a struggling actor, willing to take any role, who humbles himself to no avail before a pitiless producer, played by Alan Schack. Elizabeth Bradshaw, as a female physician, stoically runs into the thickest of glass ceilings in a scene with her superior, played with genuine compassion by Walter Beery. Perhaps the weakest of these scenes presents a pair of young lovers, played by Adam Conger and Heather Alyse Becker, whose protracted engagement, seemingly hampered by monetary concerns, packs very little emotional punch. Though certainly dated in its subject matter, the play's parallels to modern issues are evident. And when Wiegand's character arrives with news of the never-seen titular character, it is the spark that lights the fuse on the cannon of change. Presented by and at Theatre West, 3333 Caheunga Blvd. West, L.A. Sept. 3–Oct. 10. Fri.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. (323) 851-7977. www.theatrewest.org. |
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