Waiting for Lefty Debuts Friday

This week, EWU Theatre presents Waiting for Lefty, Clifford Odets’ riveting tale of the American working class, performed by fifteen student actors and professional actor Ricardo Ibarra-Rivera. 

Set in 1935, the play centers around New York taxi cab drivers on the verge of a strike. Union leaders try to discourage it, while the mysterious absence of union advocate Lefty propels the story into personal flashbacks. 

“I play Agate, a worker on the union council board,” says Joseff Pentico, a senior in the theatre program. “Agate has very strong motivation to encourage workers to unite and strike for better living. So, this play from 1935 is completely relevant today.”

To better understand the plight of their characters, and what union movements looked like during this time period, cast members watched historical documentaries exploring past American labor movements. 

Over the course of six weeks, cast members expended a good deal of labor themselves, as they worked through four-hour-long practices, held four-to-five nights a week, to hone their craft and perfect their performances. The rehearsal sessions were led by Sara Goff, director of EWU Theatre, with assistance from Ibarra-Rivera, the students’ professional co-star.

“Our theatre program is really unique because we have open auditions for anybody in the community,” says Goff. “In this case, we are working with a really respected professional actor, Rick Ibarra-Rivera. He’s phenomenal. He’s playing the role of Fatt, who is a union secretary who wants to convince the workers not to strike.”

While cast members prepared for their work onstage, an entire production team worked tirelessly to make sure that on opening night everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. 

“Every costume you’ll see is built, pulled, and modified in our costume shop by student workers,” says Goff. “Our set, lighting, production and sound, is run by students with the help of faculty. It’s hands-on training in every aspect of theatre.”

This play is one of three the theatre department presents each year. While not a musical, it is infused with live musical performances. They chose to do this, says Goff, because “music has always been instrumental in energizing social justice movements.”

“I feel so powerfully committed to it,” Goff says. “It’s the right show, the right people, and the right time.”

The campus voter project will be in the lobby before and after performances to register new voters. And, after the election day performance on the 5th, you can take advantage of in-person voting at the PUB which lasts until 8 p.m. 

“I feel that this is a play for our young people to find and utilize their voices,” says Goff. “This production is one of the most shining examples of what students can do.”

Performances, at these dates and times, will take place at the EWU Theatre in Cheney:

Friday, Nov. 1 | 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 2 | 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 3 | 2 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 4 | 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 5 | 5 p.m.

Tickets are available to the general public for $10 and $5 for students. Buy them now here! 

For more information, visit EWU’s Theatre page.