What I liked
There is something quite powerful about holding a mirror up and asking the audience to look within themselves and the society in which they belong. That which is staring us back in the face is something often difficult to swallow, let alone, deal with day in and day out. Kudos to the writing, first and foremost. It is exceptionally poignant and releant to our times. This show’s cast tells these stories extremely well! Lastly, I definitely found the staging, use of projections, and most technical aspects of the show top notch!
What I didn't like
I will admit confusion at the top of the show. You have an actor stage right speaking into his cell phone mounted on a ring light, projections going off in the background, and the rest of the ensemble doing contact improvisation/choreography as the original “Waiting for Lefty” background is being shared. For me, this was a case of wanting “less” so that I could get “more” out of what was being shared. I just wasn’t sure where to focus and because of that, I feel that I missed information.
For the last vignette, I feel an opportunity was missed – with two Asian actresses on stage, I was waiting for some gut-punching writing and performing dealing with the atrocious rise in Asian Hate Crimes. I’m not saying their scene lacked relevance, it was powerful indeed, but perhaps placement in the overall show order could be refined so that this particular vignette, in its current iteration, has its impact more deeply felt.
My overall impression
Artfully written, consciously directed, and deftly performed – this showing was truly a politically charged, formidable theatrical showing! Surviving in our world today is no easy task as the piece shows us in vignette after vignette. All who are affiliated with “(It’s Been 76 Years and We’re) Still Waiting for Lefty” should feel extremely proud of this undertaking! I certainly know I was proud to be in the audience.
