There was a brick wall covered with graffiti, street lights that didn= t work, and pollution scattered all around. Was it a back alley in an urban community? Not quite. It was the set of A Hey Little Walter@ , a play written by Carla Debbie Alleyne. The magnificent scenery, described as A Ghetto Illusion@ in the playbill, made the story feel so real that I could not catch my breath throughout the entire performance. The play, written by Ms. Alleyne when she was a high school student, had a multiple storyline layout that left the audience begging for more. I could not have enjoyed a show more than this one. It is being performed at Gokturk Theater in Port Washington, New York.

Walter, an adolescent growing up in Brooklyn, is faced with problem after problem due to his family= s financial situation. His girlfriend dumps him for more money, his brother can= t buy new basketball shoes, his mother cannot afford the bills, and he would just like to remove himself from his family= s history of poverty. He is willing to do whatever it takes him in order to get out of his situation. His values begin to disintegrate, and after consistent persuasion by his friend Rakim, Walter gives in and becomes a part of the illegal, and very dangerous, drug dealing business. They journey to Washington D.C. to make a pick up. After a close encounter with authorities, Walter and his partner in crime return home to New York City. They are in the business and making the big bucks. They are living the perfect life. At least, that is what it appears to be until one tragic mistake that costs Walter and his accomplice everything.

Two spectacular scenes from this play are really what made it so enjoyable and exciting. The first was the exposition, in which Walter is showing that he regrets something he has done. It appears that he has some advice to give to someone younger or less experienced than he is. From the first line of this opening attack, I was caught. Every following sentence left me with yet another question that I needed to have answered. The second part of the show that got my attention was Albert, Walter= s younger brother played by Adam Gold, and his role in the plot. It appears that although the play finishes Walter= s dramatic story, it only begins to discuss his younger brother who is getting into the drug dealing business as well. Ms. Alleyne has not written a sequel to this work of hers, I would not be surprised if she does in the future because it could be just as entertaining. Greg Postyn was amazing in his debut role as Walter. This kid is young and will only improve throughout the rest of his acting career. Walter= s family was entirely played by former students of Schreiber School of Performing Arts. Latoya, Walter= s sister was played perfectly by Stacy Lee. Although her role was a small one, it was very important in the subplot that included Albert= s story. Mama was played by Polina Dolganovskaya.

This is the first play I have seen that was written by the talented Carla Debbie Alleyne and I look forward to being entertained by her future works. I was impressed with the acting abilities of the young and good looking actors and actresses. This play is a must see for anyone that has ever experienced the pain that drug dealing can cause, or someone just looking for an entertaining and well put together show. It will be playing at Gokturk Theater through February 15^th, at which point the show will begin to tour in Europe.