by Jeannie Marlin Woods
DRIVING MISS DAISY is a little gem of a production now playing in Barrington Stage Company’s intimate St. Germain Theatre. Directed by BSC’s Founding Artistic Director, Julianne Boyd, and featuring a stellar cast, this realistic play reminds us that friendship can create bridges across ethnic and cultural boundaries. MISS DAISY won the Pulitzer Prize, and it is a most satisfying and deeply human story. It is a play that effectively dramatizes how other people can reveal their true selves and be encouraged to become better human beings.
Playwright Alfred Uhry is from Atlanta, Georgia. Uhry drew upon his own Jewish background to weave a tale that spans 25 years. Set in 1948 in the deep south, Daisy Werthan is a 72-year-old woman of strong beliefs and prejudices. Still spry and engaged in the world, she is adamant that she be allowed to retain her independence. The first moment of the play reveals she has just had a most dramatic car crash, totally her brand-new car. When her son, Boolie, insists she hire a chauffeur and stop driving, she is not at all happy about it. Boolie, a conservative local businessman, insists and he soon finds a driver—an African American named Hoke Colburn. And so begins a relationship that evolves over a quarter of a century.
Uhry’s writing clearly articulates the almost infinitesimal steps that Miss Daisy must take in dealing with her physical and mental decline, as well as her bigotry and condescension. At the outset, she makes Hoke sit in the kitchen for almost a week, refusing to let him drive her anywhere. Hoke, however, is a patient man with a profound understanding of the fears and apprehension Miss Daisy is grappling with. A wealthy widow who nevertheless came from a hard scrabble background, she fears people will think she is putting on airs to have a chauffeur. She also reveals a deep mistrust of Black people, a distaste for her Christian kin, a deep-seated penury, and a personal fear of growing older and less independent. It is through the gentle nudging and prodding from Boolie that she begins to see her own shortcomings. But it is Hoke – a kind of gentle giant – who is able, through his humor, plain-speaking, and wisdom, to help Miss Daisy become a better person and allow herself to trust enough to embrace Hoke as a friend.
This touching drama unfolds from 1948 to 1973, moving from Miss Daisy’s house, to Boolie’s office, to the car and other locations. Director Julianne Boyd stages it with elegance and efficiency and displays an amazing understanding of the characters’ interrelationships. I expect most of our readers at Berkshire On Stage have seen Debra Jo Rupp on stage at least once and remember her from TV’s That 70’s Show. An Associate Artist at Barrington Stage and a talented comedienne, this was my first chance to see her dramatic work. Her performance is not to be missed. She embraces the positives and the negatives of her character and lets us see the pain of her personal growth as she realizes she is not always right. She also portrays the slow physical decline of her character with great pathos and authenticity.
Matthew W. Korinko (Boolie) and Ray Anthony Thomas (Hoke) are both making their BSC debut in this production. Both actors turn in polished, nuanced performances. Korinko easily depicts the good southern son, doing his best to look after his opinionated, difficult mother. He has charm and is good-natured, but this accomplished player also incorporates just a hint of smarminess that is perfect for the role. Thomas brings a delicate sensibility to the role of Hoke. Hoke reads people very well – a talent developed from his reality as a Black man in the south. He is at times childlike and at times a wise old man. He also ages along with Miss Daisy, but is never absent, always there to support her in any way she needs. Thomas plumbs all the depths of this complex, very authentic role, playing with great finesse and charm.
The world created onstage by Director Boyd and her creatives team is perfectly realized in the intimate space of the Saint Germain stage. Bert Scott’s set design gives us time and place with the simplest of means and is enhanced by David Landers’ exceptional lighting design and the marvelous projections by Tim Brown. That visual world is further realized with a remarkable sound score by Alexander Sovronsky. Costumers Brian o-Keefe and Sara Jean Tosetti, along with wig designer Jane Lynch complete the picture most imaginatively. Kudos to Boyd and her cast and creative ensemble – this DRIVING MISS DAISY is a most promising beginning to what appears to be an exceptional season for Berkshire Theatre. See it with a friend.
Credits
Playwright: Alfred Uhry
Director: Julianne Boyd
Costume Design (Men’s): Brian O’Keefe
Costume Design (Miss Daisy): Sara Jean Tosetti
Wig Design: Jane Lynch
Set Design: Bert Scott
Lighting Design: David Lander
Projection Design: Tim Brown
Sound Design: Alexander Sovronsky
Cast:
Daisy Werthan – Debra Jo Rupp
Boolie Werthan – Matthew W. Korinko
Hoke Colburn – Ray Anthony Thomas
Information
DRIVING MISS DAISY runs May 27 through June 21 at the St. Germain stage, Barrington Stage Company and June 26-July 5 at the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance at Williams College.
For more information or tickets, phone: 413-242-6411.
Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission
Theatre: St. Germain Stage
Address: 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield, MA
Closing date June 21
Theatre: Adams Memorial Theatre
Address: 1000 Main Street, Williamstown, MA
Closing date July 5
Website: barringtonstageco.org