HDC Production, Once Suppressed, Opens Thursday

The HDC will defy Boston bluenoses when it presents Odets' "Waiting for Lefty" suppressed in Boston 12 years ago, on Thursday night as part of a double bill with "The Ping-Pong Players" by Saroyan.

As a result of the controversy if aroused after its first production by the Group Theatre in New York, in January, 1935, "Waiting for Lefty" was banned ostensibly because of its profanity in Boston, Philadelphia, New Haven, Dorchester, Chelsea, and Roxbury.

Seen in 60 Towns

This controversy also resulted in its being seen in 60 towns that had never before seen a theatrical production, and, at one point, 32 cities were seeing the double bill of "Waiting for Lefty" and "Till the Day I Die," another play by Odets, at the same time.

Presented for the first in Boston, "The Ping-Pong Players" has only two characters who play ping-pong all through the play. Eight winners of the third round of PBH's Ping-Pong Tournament will be given free tickets to see the play.