Three Scenes in the Life of a Trotskyist chronicles Lev Trachtenberg's transformation over four decades, from an idealistic youth in 1939 to a staunch conservative during the campus protests of the 1960s. His shift shocks former allies, leaving them questioning whether Lev has forsaken his original ideals or clung to them too rigidly amid evolving times. The play explores themes of politics, literature, and the transformative influence of success in the United States.