How I Learned To Drive: The Actor's Perspective
Written: Apr 14 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: INTENSE, quick read, touching, funny in parts, makes you think
Cons: Not for people who don't like to read plays
The Bottom Line: A poignant play that really makes you think. Read it-- especially if you enjoy reading plays.
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| Candice923's Full Review: Paula Vogel - How I Learned to Drive |
This review has a great deal of meaning for me, so it's going to be a little difficult to write. I'm sure it will be quite wordy, so be prepared. I will do my best to break it down into sections for you.
A Little History of My Experience
As you all probably know by now, I am an actress. I have been acting since the tender age of 8. I liked doing plays so much that I became a playwright and wrote my first play when I was 9, entitled Journey to Chocolateland. Not deep at all. (Hey-- I was 9 and I liked chocolate.) Since then, I have performed in over 30 stage productions, written about 10 plays and screenplays, and appeared in countless movies and television shows.
However, nothing can possibly prepare me for my latest role as L'il Bit in Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive.
When I went to the audition, it was because the director personally called me and requested I try out for the show. I hadn't read the play before I got there, as it was pretty much a last-minute thing. I didn't even do my research on the show... I was a bad girl. I should have.
I nailed the audition. I was shocked when I got the phone call early the next morning to tell me that I landed the lead of the play, the character of L'il Bit. (Incidentally, L'il Bit was originated my Mary Louise Parker on Broadway in 1997-- an actress I get compared to quite a bit.) I accepted it blindly, only knowing about the show what I had read the night before. Yet another "no-no" for any actor.
Tonight was the read-thru with the rest of the cast. It's the first time I read through the play, much less outloud, and now I'm a little worried.
Scratch that. I'm terrified.
The Plot
L'il Bit is a well-endowed woman about 35 when we first meet her. She describes where she grew up and her personality, then takes us back to 1969, when she was 17 and "parking" with a married man, who happened to be old enough to be her.... Well, you get the idea.
Turns out this married man is her uncle by marriage.
Has your jaw dropped yet? Yeah, mine did, too. Wait. It gets more intense.
As a reader, you always know that L'il Bit is an older woman re-living these incidents in her life with her Uncle Peck. There are three other characters in the play: Male Chorus, Female Chorus, and Teenage Chorus. These characters take on the other figures in L'il Bit's life, such as her grandmother, mother, Aunt Mary (Uncle Peck's wife), and so on. There is also a neutral voice, such as one you hear in an instructional cassette or something, that prefaces some of the scenes with driving instructions.
L'il Bit leads us through her life in Maryland, from the age of 11 until she's 18. Vogel uses monologues to segway the years, and gives an out-or-order series of flashbacks that should be confusing, but isn't because of the monologues. Vogel does an amazing job with her words to paint the picture of L'il Bit's life.
Besides how L'il Bit's life is affected by her Uncle Peck's actions, we also read about how it affected the family. Granted, we read it more than "see" it, but it is so easy to visualize what the characters describe.
So, what is the "point" of How I Learned to Drive? There really isn't one, I suppose. Just L'il Bit telling the audience what happened to her, and describing how it changed her life. It's a good read, though. Very quick and quite interesting.
The Characters
Uncle Peck is an alcoholic pedophile. You can also call him incestuous, as he is L'il Bit's uncle by marriage. As readers, we don't know if Uncle Peck is obsessed with just L'il Bit, or all children in general-- Until he teaches Bobby how to fish. That's when we get the strong idea that Uncle Peck might just not be "right in the head." He is so charming, and Vogel does an excellent job portraying him as victim as well as victimizer. This character really wins the readers over, albeit reluctantly for the reader. Until the last scene of the play (which I will not ruin for you), the reader doesn't want to think that Uncle Peck is really a monster.
The different "Greek Choruses" contain all sorts of different minor characters: Aunt Mary, L'il Bit's Mom, Grandmama, Big Papa, teenagers L'il Bit went to school with, and so on. If you have a good imagination - and pay attention to the stage directions in italics - you'll be able to decipher the different characters and fit them into the scenes. If not, then you might get a little confused.
Finally, there is L'il Bit. L'il Bit is incredibly complex. She was molested by Uncle Peck when she was 11, and feels guilty because she hounded her mother to let her go with him. Unfortunately for L'il Bit, she is well-endowed in the chest region, and has had to deal with this since her pre-teen years. Vogel uses this as a huge focus point for L'il Bit's character, as well as Uncle Peck's obsession. As readers, we always know that L'il Bit is a grown woman reminiscing her relationship with Uncle Peck and other family members. Regardless, it is very difficult (emotionally, that is) to read what this woman endured. Vogel does an excellent job in making her readers sympathetic toward L'il Bit, yet puts some question into their minds as to who is really "at fault" for this relationship. (No, I'm not condoning pedophilia. You have to read the play to understand.) Now you know why this is going to be such a difficult role for me to play. Phew.
Other Stuff
This is a one act play. We read it outloud, and it took us an hour and 20 minutes. I read it through again by myself, and it took me a mere 30 minutes. I honestly don't know how long it will take when it is staged.
Obviously, this play is for older readers. I would say 18 and older, due to the topics that are discussed and explored. Some of it is way intense, other parts are very funny, and some incidents between Uncle Peck and L'il Bit are rather upsetting. If you're looking for a challenge, this is definitely a read for you.
I will know this play back and from whe I am through with it. I've read it three times already, and I know I will read it many more times than that. The poignancy doesn't lose its effect after each read. As a matter of fact, I think it gains something. As a reader, you feel so helpless because there isn't anything that you can do to help L'il Bit. Vogel does an awesome job when it comes to paying attention to the emotions of her audience, whether they are reading the play or watching a performance of it.
Truth be told, this isn't my "type" of book or play. It runs the gamut of emotions. I usually like to stay with one theme: romance, comedy, horror, etc. Now that I have read this play, I might have to broaden my horizons.
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If you are interested in attending a performance of How I Learned to Drive, please email me! Performances are the last 2 weekends of May and the first weekend of June in Riverhead, NY. When I get more details, I will add them to this review!
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Recommended:
Yes
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Candice923
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