What I liked
The direction and technical aspects were wonderful. The lighting, projections, and sound design really took you away from your everyday life to put you in these various locations. The acting was across the board amazing – I’d like to call out specifically the second scene, with Michael Lutheran, Courtney Bell, and Leah Verill, which was, at least for me, the situation that had the most relatability to it. But the entire range of characters and situations was phenomenal.
What I didn't like
The problem with a show that has various vignettes within it is that you’re going to compare, contrast, and rank the scenes, as opposed to viewing the whole piece as a single unit, so you’re comparing it to itself rather than to anything outside of itself. But that’s a bug of the structure, not the play itself, if that makes sense.
My overall impression
“(It’s Been 76 Years and We’re) Still Waiting for Lefty” was an incredibly wonderful show, and another jewel to add to Theatre Unleashed’s crown of creating thoughtful, interesting, and entertaining pieces of theatre. While I was wary of watching something so tuned in to what is going on in this country (I’ve been feeling pretty knocked around on all sides from the ever-oppressive news cycle), I was pleasantly surprised that the show, while rightfully angry about the state of things, was first and foremost a theatrical experience, not a diatribe about the ills of society. The acting was uniformly excellent, and Greg Crafts has written a piece with real power to it.
