Barrington Actor Onstage in CT Repertory Theatre's Topical "Waiting for Lefty / Severance"

STORRS. Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present “Waiting for Lefty”, which will be the first play directed by new Artistic Director Michael Bradford. “Waiting for Lefty” will be paired with “Severance”, a new one-act play by Levi Alpert. Barrington, RI native and graduate of Barrington High School, Jeff DeSisto plays Sid in “Waiting for Lefty”. Performances will be held in the Nafe Katter Theatre from February 23rd through March 5th 2017. For tickets and information please visit crt.uconn.edu or call (860) 486-2113.

Jeff DeSisto is a third year graduate student in the UCONN MFA Acting program. As a student in the department, he receives conservatory style training that prepares young actors for careers in film, television and theatre. Students take classes in voice, movement, acting, and camera work. Redmond’s recent CRT credits include: “An Absolute Turkey” (Vatelin), “King Lear” (Oswald), “Spamalot” (French Taunter/Historian), “Twelfth Night” (Sebastian), and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Flute). Previous 2nd Story Theatre credits include: “Tuesdays with Morrie” (Mitch), “Becky’s New Car” (Chris), “Le Dindon...” (Soldignac), “Seven Keys to Baldpate” (Lou Max), and “Saint Joan” (Captain La Hire).

DeSisto says, “Waiting for Lefty has awarded me the experience to work on really rich text and utilize all the tools I have learned over the course of my three years as an MFA at UCONN. Odets lays out fertile scenes, abundant with a variety of acting opportunities and interesting tactics, motivations, and objectives for the actor to choose from. Each time I play the scene with my partner it feels new and exciting thanks to the brilliant writing. I think audiences will be captivated by this American classic.”

Clifford Odets’ passionate and politically-charged play “Waiting for Lefty” is a timeless piece of classic American theatre that you won’t readily forget. In 1930’s New York City the Great Depression takes full force and working families are put out on the streets to starve. As people fight for their lives, a union of cab drivers decide ‘no more’ and wait for their leader, Lefty Costello, to choose if they will strike or not. The demand for social change drives this classic Group Theatre production into modern times leaving us to answer: “what are we waiting for?”

Director Michael Bradford says, “’Waiting for Lefty’ centers on the choice Odets’ characters must make; on the surface, should we strike, but at the core, will I choose to live in my humanity or in my fear, a nameless, faceless fear devoid of past or future. In the original 1935 production of Waiting For Lefty, Odets was asked to write a “curtain raiser” to create a full night of theatre. “Severance” is a new short play by a recent UCONN grad, Levi Alpert. I asked Levi to consider writing a “curtain closer” that brought us a little closer to our present lives as a way to look at how wonderfully far and sadly how little we have “traveled.” Levi’s writing is beautifully severe and insightful and yet it again offers us a different vision of the same choice Odet’s offered, a choice at the core of our existence, humanity or fear.”

Michael Lewis leads the cast of “Waiting for Lefty” as Harry Fatt. Lewis has performed in many New York City venues, as well as regional theaters across this country and Europe. Favorite roles include Claudius, Pistol, Malcolm, Dogberry, Bassanio, Costard, the Shepherd’s Son, Bottom, and the Fool. He also relished Quasimodo in “Hunchback of Notre Dame”, Tom in “The Glass Menagerie”, and Carson in the original cast of Horton Foote’s Pulitzer-Prize winning “Young Man From Atlanta.” In NYC he has appeared at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Primary Stages, NY Theater Workshop, the Transport Group, the Vineyard, as well as featured acting roles at the Metropolitan Opera. Television and film work includes “Blue Bloods”, “Unforgettable”, “Law and Order(s)”, “666 Park Avenue”, “Billions”, “The Detour” and the feature films “Darrow” and “Signs of Life.

Robin Haynes plays Dr. Barnes. Haynes’ Broadway credits include “Blood Brothers” (original cast), and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”. He performed in the National Tour of “My Fair Lady”, “Buddy”, and “Jekyll & Hyde.” Off-Broadway credits include: “Collaborators”, “The Return of The Prodigal”, “Perfect Crime”, “Twelfth Night”, “Minor Demons”, “She Loves Me”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Billy Bishop Goes To War”, etc. Film: T”o Be Or Not To Be”, “Hot Dog! The Movie”, “Homecoming”, “Soldier’s Heart.” Television: “Law and Order: Criminal Intent”, “Third Watch”, “Cosby”, “M*A*S*H,” “Dallas,” “House Calls”, “Quincy”, “M.E.” Regional: Goodspeed, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park, Hartford Stage Company, The Wick, Florida Studio Theatre, and Seattle Repertory Theatre.

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

The design team includes: Michael Bradford (Director), Brett Calvo (Scenic Design), Margaret Peebles (Lighting Design), Brighid DeAngelis (Costume Design), Abby Golec (Sound Design), and Tom Kosis (Stage Manager).

The cast also includes MFA Actors: Michael Bobenhausen, Darren Brown, Natalia Cuevas, Jeffry DeSisto, Sam Kebede, Curtis Longfellow, Emile Saba, and Meredith Saran. BFA Actors: Mikaila Baca-Dorian, Shavana Clarke, Derrick Holmes, Lily Ling, Aiden Marchetti, Gavin McNicholl, Scott Redmond, Ben Senkowski, Ryan Shea, and Jacob Wright.

PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION

Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Select matinee performances start at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Single tickets are available now. Single tickets range from $7 to $36. All student tickets are only $7.

Please call the box office at 860.486.2113 for tickets and additional information or visit www.crt.uconn.edu for specific show dates and times because performance schedules vary and are subject to change. The Nafe Katter Theatre is located on the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT.