by Dan Mayer
Driving Miss Daisy is Alfred Uhry’s most successful play, which he adapted into the screenplay for the critically-acclaimed film of the same name. It paints a vivid picture of life in mid-20th-century Georgia where he grew up. Albany Civic Theater‘s production is a joy to watch, mainly due to the incredible cast.
The script is funny and bittersweet from start to finish. It isn’t making any biting statements about race relations in America, nor do I think it was ever intended to. It’s a story about the relationship between two people, and how compassion and friendship grow in spite of their differences. There are conclusions that could be drawn about how the characters’ preoccupations with their own hardships can make them blind to the hardships of others, but the interactions of one black man and one Jewish woman cannot solve a centuries-long racial divide that persists to this day. What the show can do is gently remind us of the great things that can happen when let go of our expectations and give other people a chance.
Katherine Ambrosio (Miss Daisy Werthan) and Nellson Jacobs-Moore (Hoke Colburn) are endlessly charming together. Ambrosio is a firecracker, and Jacobs-Moore has excellent comedic timing and expressive body language. Both effectively sell the passage of time, visibly slowing down as we see 25 years of their lives pass. They have a heartwarming chemistry together, to the point that watching them sit in companionable silence drinking coffee is actually a highlight of the show rather than a lull.
Katherine Ambrosio as Miss Daisy Werthan and Nellson Jacobs-Moore as Hoke Colburn in Albany Civic Theater’s production of Alfred Uhry’s “Driving Miss Daisy,” directed by Barbara Davis. Photo: David Quiñones, Jr. 
Katherine Ambrosio as Miss Daisy Werthan in Albany Civic Theater’s production of Alfred Uhry’s “Driving Miss Daisy,” directed by Barbara Davis. Photo: David Quiñones, Jr. 
Nellson Jacobs-Moore as Hoke Colburn and Katherine Ambrosio as Miss Daisy Werthan in Albany Civic Theater’s production of Alfred Uhry’s “Driving Miss Daisy,” directed by Barbara Davis. Photo: David Quiñones, Jr. 
Nellson Jacobs-Moore as Hoke Colburn and Katherine Ambrosio as Miss Daisy Werthan in Albany Civic Theater’s production of Alfred Uhry’s “Driving Miss Daisy,” directed by Barbara Davis. Photo: David Quiñones, Jr. 
The set designed by Peter L. Kantor is fairly simple yet effective: two halves of different rooms take up either side of the stage, while a free-standing steering wheel and some chairs at the center represent the car in which many scenes take place. The best touch is the screen on the back wall, framed to represent the rear windshield, and used to project images of various locales. Combined with some excellent sound design by Kathryn Capalbo, it makes the car scenes much more immersive. Some actual prop car panels or a fake hood and windshield might have been more convincing, but this setup works well as it is.
The music that plays during scene changes includes tracks from the Driving Miss Daisy film score by Hans Zimmer, which felt a little odd. Maybe this is a matter of personal preference, but moments when Capalbo used music from the time and place generally worked better at setting the scene. The Zimmer score has the distinct synthesizer-filled sound of film scores from the 1980s, which doesn’t quite blend with a story taking place through the mid-1900s. Besides, it just invites comparisons to the film, which no stage production wants. No one should be sat in the audience thinking, “I kind of liked Morgan Freeman better.”
In all likelihood though, the audience won’t be thinking that. This cast is simply phenomenal. Isaac Scranton (Boolie) is funny and effective in a fairly thankless support role, but Ambrosio and Jacobs-Moore are the heart and soul of this production, and they absolutely nail it. With many opportunities left to see this show in person, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Albany Civic Theater presents Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry, directed by Barbara Davis, runs from May 17th to June 2nd, 2024, at Albany Civic Theater, 235 Second Avenue in Albany, NY. Cast: Katherine Ambrosio as Miss Daisy Werthan, Nellson Jacobs-Moore as Hoke Colburn, and Isaac Scranton as Boolie Werthan.
Producer: Kathryn Capalbo. Stage Manager: Jackie Amilivia. Assistant Stage Manager: Josh Palmer. Costume Design: Gina Kowalski. Set Design: Peter L. Kantor. Lighting Design: Oona Newman. Sound Design: Kathryn Capalbo. Props/Set Dressing: Kat Fronheiser, Jackie Amilivia. Light Board Operator: Oona Newman. Sound Board: Kathryn Capalbo. Set Construction/Paint Crew: Kathryn Capalbo, Kat Fronheiser, Peter L. Kantor, Keven McNamara, Isaac Scranton. Projections: Oona Newman, Kathryn Capalbo. Wigs: John Fowler. Photography: David Quiñones, Jr.
Performance dates are Friday-Sunday, May 17th-19th, 24th-26th, and May 31st-June 2nd. Friday and Saturday curtains are at 7:30pm, and Sundays are matinees only at 3:00pm. Tickets are $18, or $10 for students. Runs approximately 90 minutes without intermission. Tickets are available online. Visit https://www.albanycivictheater.org/ for more information.