Ambition Facing West

Three generations of a family move ever westward, restless, seeking. As they migrate from Croatia, through Wyoming, and on to Japan, the land of opportunity keeps moving, and the past keeps catching up. This unforgettable family provides an exquisitely rendered commentary on the human condition.

"Smart, funny, provocative, a bit elliptical ... Anthony Clarvoe's account of the immigration experience, with a heavy shading of his own family's story of leaving Croatia, is an admirable new American play ... AMBITION FACING WEST is the story of three generations of Croatians and their determination to better themselves by facing constantly west. This gives the play a nicely circular construction both in space and time. Not only are the characters constantly on the move, but Clarvoe ... gracefully maneuver[s] the characters back and forth in time. Most of the actors play two parts, usually two generations apart, which is another intriguing touch ..." -Ed Siegel, The Boston Globe

"A moat surrounds the semicircular stage of AMBITION FACING WEST. It's a striking symbol of both containment and freedom, the two opposing images at the heart of this sprawling, yet wonderfully spare play ... AMBITION FACING WEST manages to cover enormous territory without overwhelming ... The title, AMBITION FACING WEST, refers to the dreams of opportunity that have sent people westward throughout this century. Using the far-flung path of one family as his frame, Clarvoe opens in turn-of-the-century Dalmatia, but swiftly slips back and forth between 1940s Wyoming, 1980s Japan and 1910 Croatia. Throughout the journey, we see the eternal pull between parents and children - the desire to hold them close struggling with the drive to offer them something better ... AMBITION FACING WEST resonates with impressive depth, and his words continue to ripple long after that moat water becomes quiet again." -Terry Byrne, Boston Herald