How I Learned to Drive
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How I Learned to Drive is a 1998 Pulitzer Prize winning play by Paula Vogel. It premiered in the Vineyard Theatre on March 16, 1997.
The story follows the strained, sexual relationship between Li'l Bit and her aunt's husband, Uncle Peck, from her adolescence through her teenage years into college and beyond. Using the metaphor of driving and the issues of pedophilia, incest, and misogyny, the play explores the ideas of control and manipulation.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
Li'l Bit grows up in rural Maryland during the 1960s with a large extended family: her mother, who became pregnant at a young age; her grandmother, a God-fearing former child-bride, her ignorant, sexist grandfather, her Uncle Peck, who has been affected by experiences in combat and is a recovering alcoholic, and Aunt Mary, who is in denial of her husband's behavior.
When Li'l Bit is eleven, Uncle Peck gives her a driving lesson; however, he uses the opportunity to molest her. Li'l Bit is too young to understand the occurrence, and while her mother and aunt suspect that Peck has an unhealthy interest in his niece, they do nothing about it. Years pass and Li'l Bit enters puberty. Though she is quite intelligent, her classmates recognize her only for her large breast size. Peck continues to molest her, at one point using his amateur photo studio to take provocative pictures of her. Though he makes her uncomfortable, Peck is the only member of her family who is nice to her and supportive of her plans to go to college. He continues to give Li'l Bit driving lessons, and when she drives she develops a feeling of control that she does not have in her home life.
Peck attempts to convince Li'l Bit to have sex with him, but Li'l Bit rejects his advances, albeit reluctantly; since they are both "outsiders" in their family, she feels an odd kinship with him. Li'l Bit goes to college, and is surprised to receive gifts from Uncle Peck in the mail, along with letters counting down to her eighteenth birthday. When she turns eighteen, she confronts Uncle Peck; he has been hoping to finally have sex with her now that she is a legal adult, but more than that, he wants her to marry him. Li'l Bit refuses and permanently severs their relationship. Narrating as an adult, Li'l Bit reveals that she was eventually expelled from college and that Uncle Peck drank himself to death. However, looking back on her experiences, she has learned to forgive Peck for his wrongdoings. She concludes that he did give her something valuable: the freedom she feels only when she drives.
[edit] Production history
How I Learned to Drive was first produced by Vineyard Theatre (Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director; Jon Nakagawa, Managing Director) in New York City in February, 1997. It was directed by Mark Brokaw, the set design was by Narelle Sissons, the costume design was by Jess Goldstein, the lighting design was by Mark McCullough, the original sound design was by David van Tieghem, and the production stage manager was Thea Bradshaw Gillies. The cast was as follows:
- Li'l Bit - Mary-Louise Parker
- Uncle Peck - David Morse
- Male Greek Chorus - Michael Showalter
- Female Greek Chorus - Johanna Day
- Teenage Greek Chorus - Kerry O'Malley
The Vineyard Theatre production, in association with Daryl Roth and Roy Gabay, moved to the Century Theatre in April, 1997. The Male Greek Chorus was played by Christopher Duva.
A 1999 production at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles featured Molly Ringwald and Brian Kerwin.
[edit] Awards and nominations
Aside from the Pulitzer Prize for Drama award in 1998, How I learned to Drive was also awarded with the Off-Broadway Lucille Lortel Award in 1997. Top acting honors were also given to David Morse and Mary-Louise Parker and the outstanding direction award for Mark Brokaw.[1]
