美国戏剧《等待老左》

WaitingforLeftyByRaphaelbackgroundTheGreatDepressionwasasevereworldwideeconomicdepressioninthedecadeprecedingWorldWarII.itstartedinabout1929andlasteduntilthelate1930sorearly1940s.Itwasthelongest,mostwidespread,anddeepestdepressionofthe20thcentury.Inthe21stcentury,theGreatDepressioniscommonlyusedasanexampleofhowfartheworld'seconomycandecline.克利福德·奥德茨CliffordOdets（1906-1963）是美国现代著名剧作家,三十年代美国左翼戏剧的代表人物。他一生写下了十多部戏剧作品,其中重要的有:《等待勒夫梯》（又名《等待老左》）、《醒来歌唱》、《失乐园》和《金孩子》等。奥德茨以满腔的热情和卓越的艺术才华创作出多部社会题材戏剧作品,表达了美国人民,特别是生活在三十年代美国人民要求变革社会的希望。《等待勒夫梯》是奥德茨剧作中第一部被搬上舞台的作品,也是其成名作。当它在一九三五年初上演时,不仅受到美国工人阶级的热烈欢迎,而且还受到广大人民群众(包括一些中、小资产阶级人士)的欢迎。WaitingforLeftyisaboutataxidriver’sstrike.Aunionmeetingisgoingon.Whilethedriversaretryingtodecidewhethertogoonastrike,theunionboss,whohasalreadysoldouttocompanies,istryingtokeepthemfromstriking.剧情围绕着出租·汽车司机罢工委员会成员讨论是否罢工而展开,故事发生的时间正是罗斯福总统执政初期。这时的美国,在世界性经济危机的打击下,经济萧条,工业凋弊。资产阶级为了把经济危机造成的巨大损失转嫁到工人身上,加紧了对劳动人民的剥削和压迫,致使本来就生活在水深火热中的广大劳动人民更加贫困。面对资本家的压迫和剥削越来越多的劳动人民参加罢工和示威,为反对资本家的剥削、为争取生存权利而英勇斗争。Theme

ClassConflict阶级冲突Odetswrote

WaitingforLefty

whileamemberoftheCommunistPartyandintendeditasaworkofpropagandatopromotethecauseofasocialistrevolutioninAmerica.GiventhatMarxisttheoryfocusesontheeconomicconflictamongsocialclasses,itisperhapsinevitablethatthisisanintensely"class-conscious"play.Charactersareclearlyidentifiedbyclass,andtheseclassesarepresentedinvividopposition:ontheonehand,virtuousandlong-sufferingmembersoftheworkingclass;ontheother,thegreedy,inhumanecapitalistswhoexploitthemateveryturn.

characterJoeandEdnaEdnatellsJoehattheirfurniture,notyetpaidfor,wasrepossessed.Theyargue:Joeclaimsthatstrikesdonotwork,andthattheylosemoneywhiletheyareonstrike,whileshesaysthatwhilehissalarybarelycoversrentnow,soontheownerswillpushdowntheirwagesevenmore.Shesayshisbossis"makingsuckers"outoftheworkers,andoutoftheirfamilies.Joepleadsthatshewillwakethechildren,butshesayssheonlywantstowakehimup.FlorenceandSid

InSceneIII,FlorenceandherboyfriendSidaretragiclovers,unabletomarrybecauseoftheirpoverty.TheirsituationresemblesthatofJoeandEdnainSceneI.Theyseethattheyarevictimsof"themoneymen''whosesystemkeepsthem"lonely"and"trapped"—"highlyinsultingus,"asFlorencesays.ThepathosoftheirreluctantpartingisonlyleavenedbythesuggestionthathisheartbreakleadsSidtojointhenavy.

FlorencesaysshewillfollowSidanywhere,buthetellshertoberealistic.Dr.BenjaminAtalentedanddedicatedyoungsurgeon,DrBenjaminlearnsinSceneVIthatheislosinghisjobbecauseofthediscriminatorypoliciesofhishospital'sdirectors.Theexperiencepersuadeshimofthetruthofcommunisttheoryandfireshisdeterminationtofightthecapitalistsystem.HeistemptedtoemigratetoRussia,inordertoworkunderasystemofsocializedmedicinebutdecidestostayinAmericaeventhoughthismeansgivingupthemedicalcareerforwhichhisparentssacrificedsomuchtoprovidehim.Hetakesajobasacabdriverandbecomesamemberofthestakecommittee.Dr.BarnesInSceneVI,Barnesisahospitaladministratortornbetweenhisconvictionsandhisprofessionalobligations.Hedeplorestheruthless,discriminatorypoliciesofthehospital'swealthyboardofdirectors,especiallytheirdismissalofthetalentedyoungDr.Benjamin;butheisalsopowerlesstochangethesedecisions,andseesnochoicebuttocarrythemout.Becauseofhisadvancedage,andthefactthathemustprovideforaninvaliddaughter,hefeelsunabletoparticipatedirectlyintheworkers'struggle.Yetheisapassionatebelieverinthecauseandexhortstheyoungermantotakeupthefighthewisheshecouldjoin,encouragingBenjamintofireashot"foroldDocBarnes.''Phillips

Heisaverytalentedactorbutnoonehirehim.WhenhewaslookingforajobatatheaterinNewYork,ThebosscalledGradyundisguisedtoldhimthatnobodylikedartisthereandhisaimisonlytomoney.Finally,Phillipswasrejectedruthlessly.FayetteandMiller

Theheadofalargeindustrialcorporation,Fayetteisclearlyinthe"capitalist''camp.InSceneII,heoffershisemployee,thelabassistantMiller,anattractivebutunsavoryproposition,agenerousraiseandpromotionifhewillonlyagreetohelpdevelopfearsomechemicalweaponsandalsoagreetospyonhisfellowscientists.FayetteisuntroubledbytheethicalconcernsthatconsumeMiller;hisonlyprinciplesseemtobeprofitandself-interest."Ifbigbusinesswentsentimentaloverhumanlife,"heasserts,"therewouldn'tbebigbusinessofanysort!"Likeother"bosses"intheplay,heisanenemyoftheworkingclass.Whenhepaysforhistransgressionswithasolidpunchinthemouth,theaudienceismeanttofeelthatitisrichly-deserved.TomClaytonand"ClearVoice"(Clancy'sbrother)

The"laborspy''inSceneIVTomClayton''posesasa"brother"cabbiefromPhiladelphia.Havingparticipatedinafailedtaxistrikethereafewmonthsago,heoffersthatbitterexperiencetoconvincethemembersthatastrikeisuseless.Buta"clearvoice"fromthecrowd—whichturnsouttobethatofhisownbrother—exposeshimasastrikebreakernamed"Clancy,''whohaslongbeenemployedbyindustrialiststounderminemilitantunionorganizers.Hischaradeexposed,thedeceitful"Clayton"fleesthewrathoftheworkers.

The"voice''hasdiscoveredwherehistrueloyaltieslie;inthiscase,hiscommitmenttotheworkingclassfaroutweighsthebondsoffamily.

HarryFattHarryFatt,thecorruptunionleader,istheplay'smostobviousvillain

andtheprimaryfocusofitsoutrage—astereotypical"fatcat,"drivenbyaruthlessgreedandahungerforpower.Heisunmovedbythedesperatepovertyoftheworkersheclaimstoserve.Heispurposelyexaggerated,aconstantforceofpureevil.Odetsintendedtheaudiencetoseehimas"anuglymenace,''hoveringoverthelivesofallthecharacters.ThoughFattpayslip-servicetodemocraticprinciplesandrailsagainstthe"anti-American"natureofcommunism,heisatyrantand"racketeer,"imposinghiswillontheunionbyforceandintimidation.Theunionmembersoverwhelminglysupportastrike,andtheplay'spoliticallogicdemandsone.YetFattisdeterminedtopreventitandtomaintaincontrolbyanypossiblemeans,includingmurder.Inhisproductionnotes,Odetsleavesnodoubtaboutthecharacter'ssignificance:"Fatt,ofcourse,representsthecapitalistsystemthroughouttheplay.''AnindustrialistlikeFayette(inSceneII)mightseemamorelogicalrepresentative,butFattisequallya"boss''andenemyoftheworkers,forhiscorruptleadershipsubvertstheirstruggleforabetterlife.Whetherornotheisdirectlyemployedbywealthycapitalists(andthe"LaborSpyEpisode"impliesthatheis),heservestheircausewell,forhisactionsworkassurelyastheirstosecurethecorruptsystem.Liketheirs,hispowerisbasedontheworkers'continuedexploitation.InSceneV,OdetsemphasizesthisconnectionbyhavingFattacttheroleofGrady,thewealthytheatricalproducer.Noothercharacterhassuchadualfunction;therolesof"laborboss"and"businessexecutive"areshowntobeliterallyinterchangeable.Likeotherbosses,Fattcanbedefeatedonlybythecollectiveactionoftheworkers,whorisetriumphantlyagainsthimasthecurtainfalls.LeftyCostello

Thoughheisthetitlecharacter,Leftyneverappearsonstage,nonetheless,heisaheroicfigure,indirectcontrasttoFatt'svillainy.Adedicatedunionorganizer(andpresumablyacommunist),heenjoystheconfidenceoftheworkersandseemstobetheirtrueleader,thedrivingforcebehindthestakeeffort.Hehasbeenelectedchairmanofthestrikecommittee,andhisabsenceatthemeetingistroubling;itseemsthemembersarecountingonhisleadershiptostanduptoFattandmaketheeagerly-awaitedstrikeareality.

Leftyrecallsotherheroic,martyredorganizersofunionlore,likethelegendaryfolk-singerJoeHill.Thoughtheirlossisdeeplyfelt,suchfiguresareneverconsideredirreplaceable,fortheircauseisoneofmassaction.Theplay'sclimaxcomeswhentheworkersstopwaitingforLeftyandtakeresponsibilityfortheirownstruggle.Thoughtheyhavedependedonhim,theydonotneedaleadertogivethempower;theyneedonlyseizethecollectivepowertheyhadalwayshad,bystandingtogetherindefiance.AgateHeisamemberofcommitteeofstrike,ataxidriver.Attheageofeleven,helostoneeyebymachinewhichdonothassafetyprotectionequipment.Atthemeeting,heisacharacterfightingagainstthecorruptedunionbossandhecalledhisunion"rotten",sincetheydonottelltheworkerswhattheirplansare.Agateadmitsthattheyare“racketeers”.heencouragesworkerstostartaworkers'unionwithouttheracketeers.AmanrunsintothehouseandsaystheyjustfoundLefty,shotdead.Agateyellstohisfellowunionmen，“Strike!Strike!”.SummaryIn

WaitingforLefty,Odetscapturesfullythefolkidiomofthesixpeopleonwhomhisplayfocuses.Eachisataxicabdriver.Eachhasastorytotell.Thesixcharacterscomefromseveralwalksoflifebuthaveonethingincommon:Theyareforcedbyeconomicnecessitytobecomecabdrivers.Eachexemplifiestheantagonismthatexistsbetweenthevaluesofthebusinesscommunityandthehumanvaluesoftheplay’sprotagonists.

Inthesixvignettes,connectedonlybythejobthattheactorshaveincommon,Odetsexploressuchmattersascollectivebargaining,anti-Semitism,environmentalirresponsibility,familycohesiveness,andtheexploitationofthemasses.Thebigquestiontheplayposesconcernstheextenttowhichworkersshouldcontroltheirowndestinies.Aunionorganizer,whodoesnotappearonstage,isscheduledtomeetwiththemtodiscussmeansbywhichworkerscandealwithbigbusiness.Leftyneverarrivesbecausehehasbeenmurderedonhiswaytothemeeting.Whenhisdeathisrevealed,theaudience,already