Waiting for Lefty

play by Odets

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Article History

Waiting for Lefty, one-act play by Clifford Odets, published and produced in 1935. One of the first examples of proletarian drama, the play takes place during the Depression, in a meeting hall of the taxi drivers’ union. The union members are waiting for their representative, Lefty, to arrive so that they can vote on a strike. In a series of six vignettes, various drivers make a plea to strike, relating the stories of their lives as justification for their decision. Odets placed actors representing members of the union in the audience to increase audience involvement in the play.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.