There was a theatre of social protest in the US during the 1930s, based on a socialism that was idealistic rather than political. Clifford Odets took his place in the movement with his play Waiting for Lefty, and went on to become a leading writer for stage and screen until his death in 1963. The tiny Focus Theatre has always nurtured ambitions far exceeding its size, and frequently realised them. Odet's early work Awake and Sing (featuring Paul Bennett, right) probes, through a Jewish family under the spotlight, the tragedy of a culture that measures success only in terms of money and status. The theme has a clear relevance for today's Irish society. The play, whose cast includes several Focus stalwarts, opens next Wednesday.