How I Learned to Drive

How I Learned to Drive
Written by	Paula Vogel
Characters	Lil' Bit Uncle Peck Lil' Bit's mother Lil' Bit's grandmother Lil' Bit's grandfather Bobby
Date premiered	March 16, 1997
Place premiered	Vineyard Theatre New York City, New York
Original language	English
Genre	Drama
IOBDB profile

How I Learned to Drive is a play written by American playwright Paula Vogel. The play premiered on March 16, 1997 off-broadway at the Vineyard Theatre. Vogel received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the work.

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.

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.

In 1962, when Li'l Bit is 11, Uncle Peck gives her a driving lesson, during which he molests her. Li'l Bit is too young to understand what has happened and, while her mother suspects that Peck has an unhealthy interest in his niece, she does nothing about it.

Years pass and Li'l Bit enters puberty. Though she is quite intelligent, her classmates recognize her only for her large breasts. 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. Li'l Bit admits that she wishes that she could ask Uncle Peck about his life. She wonders who violated him to make him this way. This gives her a sense of forgiveness for his wrongdoings. She concludes that he did give her something valuable: the freedom she feels only when she drives.

Productions

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
• Greek chorus leader- Ethan Atkins

Bruce Davison and Molly Ringwald later took over the lead roles.

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 1997/98 season production at CENTERSTAGE in Baltimore (Center Stage) was directed by Barry Edelstein.

A 1998/99 season production at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. was directed by Molly Smith.

A 1999 production at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles featured Molly Ringwald and Brian Kerwin.

In March 2006, the play was presented by the T. Schreiber Studio and Theater (an acting studio in Manhattan).

L.A. Theatre Works has produced an audio performance of the play, starring Glenne Headly, Randall Arney, Joy Gregory, Paul Mercier, and Rondi Reed. Published on CD, ISBN 1-58081-188-4.

Second Stage Theatre will be producing the first professional production of the play in New York City since its premiere 15 years ago. The work is being helmed by Kate Whoriskey and stars Norbert Leo Butz as Uncle Peck and Elizabeth Reaser as Li'l Bit. Performances begin on January 24, 2012.

Awards and nominations

• The Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1998)
• Off-Broadway Lucille Lortel Awards (1997)

• Outstanding play
• Outstanding Director (Mark Brokaw)
• Outstanding Actress (Mary-Louise Parker)
• Outstanding Actor (David Morse)

• Drama Desk Awards (1997)

• Outstanding play
• Outstanding Actor in a play
• Outstanding Director of a play

• Obie Award (1996–1997)

• Performance, David Morse
• Performance, Mary-Louise Parker
• Direction
• Playwrighting

• Outer Critics Circle Award

• Outstanding Off-Broadway play

• New York Drama Critics Award

• Best play

References

• "How I Learned to Drive". ThatTheatreSite. 2008. http://thattheatresite.com/library/showpages/show_549.html. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 
• Paula Vogel (16 April 1998) (transcript). with Elizabeth Farnsworth. The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. PBS. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/jan-june98/play_4-16.html. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 

External links

• How I Learned to Drive at the Internet off-Broadway Database
• The Boston Phoenix interview, May 1998
• CurtainUp Review of How I Learned to Drive
• SET Groups Performance of "How I Learned to Drive", June 2010