Little Walter Review

9/ 24/01

On September 22 2001, the play Hey Little Walter written by Carla Alleyne amazed eager audiences at the Jane Street Theater. Actors Richie Miglietta, Jenna Nordstrom, David Silverstein, Jolie Signorelie, J.M Kostallas, Emily Silverstein, and Jimmy Thompson got a standing ovation from the audience for their stunning work. The plot of the play was extremely well conceived and the acting superb. The lighting and set of the stage was also magnificent setting the mood for the show. The feelings of the characters were well expressed and the events in the play kept your attention throughout the show. It is truly amazing that the playwright was only sixteen when she wrote it. It is even more extraordinary that a play written by a girl who is so young is now an off-Broadway hit. However it is also sad to think that this play came from personal experience of knowing people like the characters in the show.

Hey Little Walter takes place in a ghetto in Brooklyn New York where drug dealing is the only option for poor families who need money. Walter, played by Richie Miglietta, is a teenager who is having trouble at home, and with his friends. His mother doesn’t have enough money to pay the bills, and is finding herself trapped in her own home trying to provide for her three children Walter, Albert who is played by David Silverstein, and LaToya played by Emily Silverstein. Walter’s girlfriend Nicky played by Jenna Nordstrom is also causing trouble for Walter. She breaks up with him because she wants someone with money that can treat her well. Because of all the problems concerning money, Walter decides to deal with Rakim. However as Walter begins to deal, Albert also finds his need for money, to buy sneakers to gain respect from his friends, and Albert starts down the same path as Walter. So when Walter and Rakim go to Washington D.C. to do a big drug deal, it leads to the downfall of Walter, Rakim, and Albert. Meanwhile Latoya acts as the voice of reason, reminding the audience of the poor judgements that the characters are making.

The play had many good moments, however it also had some areas that could have used more work. An excellent scene in particular is the first. Walter is on stage by himself, with a ghetto illusion, and begins to talk to someone who the audience can not see. He gets frustrated that he can’t reach whoever he is talking to, and begins set you up for the rest of the show by telling the audience that his " story needs to be told". This draws the audience in and makes them interested in what happened to him. They have many questions that they want answered and it draws them even more into the story.

However, the last scene went by too fast. I thought that she could have slowed things down. It almost seemed as if she was in a rush to finish the story.

All in all, I think that this play was amazing and interesting. It is definitely something to see. The set design, lighting, acting, and plot were all amazing and deserves recognition. However I would recommend this play to teenagers and up as it deals with difficult and frightening topics in the ghettos. Carla Alleyne deserves applause for her amazing work.