Photo Flash: PlayMakers Presents HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE
By: A.A. Cristi Apr. 03, 2019
PlayMakers Repertory Company is proud to present the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, "How I Learned to Drive" by Tony Award®-nominated playwright Paula Vogel. The production, directed by Lee Sunday Evans, will run from April 3 to 21, 2019.
"How I Learned to Drive" is a heartbreaking, unflinching and unsettling tale that follows Li'l Bit, a sexual abuse survivor, as she unearths and untangles complex and troubling memories of her youth and abuse at the hands of her uncle. Seen through the lens of our #MeToo era, playwright Paula Vogel's powerful drama is an all-too- relevant reminder of the importance of reclaiming one's own narrative, but also how uncomfortable that process can be.
"When Vivienne told me she had programmed 'How I Learned to Drive' in PlayMakers' current season, I thought it was a brilliant, timely choice," said director Evans. "We talked about what it would mean to create a production of this story now, in the midst of the large-scale, public reckoning with imbalanced sexual power dynamics that's going on. I have been enormously inspired and influenced by Paula's writing through the years and I felt this production would be an opportunity to explore how live performance can uniquely create a communal, public space to meaningfully engage with some of the most private, personal episodes in one's life. We need these public spaces right now - where we are not alone with the raw, uncomfortable, complicated experiences that get unearthed when we start to open up about our personal histories."
"In this season of shifting ground, it feels very right to close out our 2018/19 Mainstage with a groundbreaking playwright, Paula Vogel," said Vivienne Benesch, PlayMakers' Producing Artistic Director. "Paula has never shied away from tackling stories that have been ignored or pushed to the boundaries by other mediums. 'How I Learned to Drive' is one of those stories that digs deep into a subject that is messy, complicated, painful, and all- too pervasive, and makes us lean forward and examine our own experiences and perspectives. I am eternally grateful for the amazing Lee Sunday Evans, and our own Julia Gibson and Jeffrey Blair Cornell for taking on this tough and painfully relevant story with such sensitivity and a quiet, true brilliance."
The Creative Team of "How I Learned to Drive" includes: Lee Sunday Evans (Director), Jan Chambers (Scenic Designer), Anne Kennedy (Costume Designer), Barbara Samuels (Lighting Designer), Lee Kinney (Sound Designer), Daniel Kluger (Composer), Mark Perry (Dramaturg), Tia James (Vocal Coach), Thiago Felix (Movement Coach), Ilana Khanin (Associate Director), and Elizabeth Ray (Stage Manager).
"How I Learned to Drive" deals frankly with issues of sexual abuse and incest. We encourage all patrons to use their own discretion in determining the appropriateness of the material.
For information and to purchase tickets, call 919.962.7529 or visit www.playmakersrep.org. Individual ticket prices start at $15, with discounted tickets for UNC students.
Photo Credit: Evans Huth Photo
Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Uncle Peck and Julia Gibson as Lil Bit
Julia Gibson as Lil Bit
Julia Gibson as Lil Bit smiles at Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Uncle Peck
Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Uncle Peck with Julia Gibsons Lil Bit
Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Uncle Peck takes a photo of Julia Gibson as Lil Bit
Dan Toot as Male Greek Chorus, Emily Bosco as Female Greek Chorus, Gabriella Cila as Teenage Greek Chorus and Julia Gibson as Lil Bit
Emily Bosco as Female Greek Chorus, Julia Gibson as Lil Bit, Dan Toot as Male Greek Chorus and Gabriella Cila as Teenage Greek Chorus
Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Uncle Peck and Julia Gibson as Lil Bit
Julia Gibson as Lil Bit and Dan Toot as Male Greek Chorus
Julia Gibson as Lil Bit and Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Uncle Peck
Comments
Join Team BroadwayWorld
Are you an avid theatergoer? We're looking for people like you to share your thoughts and insights with our readers. Team BroadwayWorld members get access to shows to review, conduct interviews with artists, and the opportunity to meet and network with fellow theatre lovers and arts workers.
Videos