Syracuse Stage presents Pulitzer-Prize Winning Drama HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE

Come along for the ride as Syracuse Stage presents Paula Vogel's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama How I Learned to Drive.This deeply compassionate play looking into how one woman's courage to face a troubled time in her past leads her to take control of her own life opens April 7 in the Archbold Theatre at the Syracuse Stage/SU Drama Complex, 820 E. Genesee St. There will be two preview performances on Wednesday, April 5, and Thursday, April 6.

Winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, How I Learned to Drive masterfully veers in and out of the personal memories of a character known as Li'l Bit to explore her complicated relationship with an uncle by marriage. These memories take place in 1960s Maryland and shift through various periods in her adolescence. As Li'l Bit narrates these episodes, a Greek Chorus made up of three members-a Teenage Chorus, Male Chorus and Female Chorus-assume various family members and significant individuals from the past. A voiceover from a driving manual and vibrant 60s pop music punctuate the action.

Playwright Vogel expertly sustains the humor and pathos of Li'l Bit's journey without trivializing either emotion. Written with intelligence and grace, scenes ricochet from wildly comedic to gasp inducing in an instant. Vogel explained in The New York Times that she intended for the play "to get the audience to go along for the ride they wouldn't normally take" and the comic facility eases the journey without undermining the seriousness of the play's concerns.

Director Laura Kepley felt personally connected to the play after reading it in college 18 years ago. She explained it started to grow on her because it was one of the first times a contemporary woman stood center stage and bravely spoke about her struggles. To Kepley, Li'l Bit's ability to face her harrowing past makes her a woman of empowerment and unwavering strength.

"Li'l Bit's telling this secret, and by telling this secret she is discovering that she can take control of her past and drive forward in her life," said Kepley.

Playwright Vogel believes in the power of theatre to be a place of transformation because it creates empathy, and How I Learned to Drive accomplishes exactly that.

"I do have this faith that the more naked you are as an actor, the more people see themselves on that stage. They're not seeing you. You become their stand-in. So the second you step out alone and you don't have dialogue supporting you, they're seeing themselves. What the opening of this play really says is that you're about to see your life story unfold," said Vogel.

As the play addresses the troubling topic of sexual abuse, McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center and Vera House will have referral and resource information in the How I Learned to Drive program and at tables in the Syracuse Stage lobby.

"We are so pleased to partner with these outstanding community organizations as we present this beautiful, unsettling piece of theatre that gives voice to those stories that far too often stay hidden," said Jill Anderson, managing director, Syracuse Stage.

Tickets are available at www.SyracuseStage.org, by phone at 315.443.3275 and in person at the Box Office.

Ain't Misbehavin': The Fats Waller Musical Show

Written by Paula Vogel

Directed by Laura Kepley

Scenic Design: Collette Pollard

Costume Design: Lex Liang

Lighting Design: Mary Louise Geiger

Sound Design: Broken Chord

Projection Designer: Caite Hevner

Voice & Dialect Coach: Thom Jones

Stage Manager: Laura Jane Collins

Casting: Elissa Meyers Casting, Paul Fouquet, CSA

Cast

(in order of appearance)

Madeleine Lambert Li'l Bit

Michael Brusasco Peck

Karis Danish Female Greek Chorus

Nick LaMedica Male Greek Chorus

Remy Zaken Teenage Greek Chorus

Special Events

April 7 Opening Night Party (free for ticket holders)

Join the cast for a post-show celebration with live music, food, drinks and live music by The Nudes, an atmospheric indie rock band.

April 8 "The Road Less Travelled: Writing the Taboo" Poetry & Play (free for ticket holders)

A reading series that connects the literary arts to the work on our stage. Harriett Brown, associate professor of magazine journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and Jackie Warren-Moore, a poet, playwright, director and writer, will share original works prompted by themes, ideas and images within the play. Light refreshments will be provided.

April 9 Prologue at 1 p.m. (free for ticket holders)

An intimate, 20-minute pre-show discussion with the actors one hour prior to curtain. Bring your questions.

Actor Talkback (free for ticket holders)

A Q&A session with the actors following the 7 p.m. performance.

April 13 Healthy & Happy Hour at 6 p.m. (free for ticket holders)

Enjoy complimentary appetizers, half-priced drinks, complimentary chair massages from SpaZend and entertainment by Hot 107.9 DJ, Kobe.

April 15 Prologue at 2 p.m. (free for ticket holders)

An intimate, 20-minute pre-show discussion with the actors one hour prior to curtain. Bring your questions.

ASL Interpreted Performance at 3 p.m. for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

April 19 Wednesday @ 1 Lecture (free for ticket holders)

Chris Woodworth, assistant director of theatre at Hobart and WilLiam Smith Colleges, will give a lecture at 1 p.m. in the Sutton Pavilion before the 2 p.m. performance. Woodworth will discuss the ways in which playwright Paula Vogel's plays function as love letters to the theatre. Vogel's works embrace the staging techniques of bygone era while presenting dramatic worlds with contemporary ingenuity and punch.

Open Captioning at 2 p.m. Performance for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Dinner & Show ($45, includes dinner and show admission)

Enjoy a buffet dinner with fellow theatre lovers in the Sutton Pavilion before the 7:30 performance. Seasonal fare prepared by Phoebe's Restaurant followed by great theatre.

April 20 Prologue at 6:30 p.m. (free for ticket holders)

An intimate, 20-minute pre-show discussion with the actors one hour prior to curtain. Bring your questions.

April 22 Audio Described Performance at 3 p.m. for patrons who are blind or visually impaired.

April 23 Open Captioning at 2 p.m. Performance for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

ABOUT Syracuse Stage

Syracuse Stage is Central New York's premier professional theatre in residence at Syracuse University. Founded in 1974, Stage has produced more than 300 plays in over 40 seasons including a number of world, American, and East Coast premieres. Each season 70,000 patrons enjoy an adventurous mix of new plays, and bold interpretations of classics and musicals, featuring the finest theatre artists. In addition, Stage maintains a vital educational outreach program that annually serves more than 15,000 students from 14 counties. A solid core of subscribers and supporters helps keep Syracuse Stage a vibrant artistic presence in Central New York. Additional support comes from the government, foundations, corporations and Syracuse University. Syracuse Stage is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, and a member of the Arts and Cultural Leadership Alliance (ACLA), the University Hill Corporation and the East Genesee Regent Association. Syracuse Stage is a member of The League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the largest professional theatre association in the country.

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