By Laurie O’Neill — Laurie@concordbridge.org
“There is power in observing how characters on stage deal with their demons and challenges. Will they survive? Will they find peace? Will they find humanity in a less-than-humane situation? Will they forgive?”
With these words, director J. Mark Baumhardt sums up the powerful, Pulitzer Prize-winning play “How I Learned to Drive,” the first production of the Concord Players’ new season, opening November 8.
“It exposes an often taboo subject with humor and grace,” he says.
Written by Paula Vogel, “How I Learned to Drive” deals with the complex relationship between a socially naïve adolescent girl, Li’l Bit, and her uncle, Peck. The play’s arrival in 1997 preceded the wave of revelations about real-life sexual abuse of women and girls. Though the piece is nearly three decades old, it remains relevant, say the Players.
Allison Rudmann Putnam, whose previous credits with the Players include “Lend Me a Tenor” and “All My Sons,” has the role of Li’l Bit, and Gordon Ellis, who appeared in “Mister Roberts,” “Lend Me A Tenor” and “Side Man,” portrays Uncle Peck.
An important story to tell
“Though the show’s subject matter is not easy to talk about, it is a very important story to tell,” says Aiden O’Neal, speaking for the Players’ Play Director Selection Committee. “It highlights the complex nature of abuse and trauma while still treating all of the characters as flawed humans and not depicting them as archetypes” of villain and victim.
He says that according to statistics, as many as one in four girls are abused before age 18 and that 30 to 40 percent of victims are abused by family members. More than 80 percent of child abuse survivors never report what happened to them, he adds.
O’Neal says that Baumhardt brings “an extremely strong vision and deep understanding of the show. We knew we could trust him with this challenging material.”
The subject matter may be dark, “but there is something more in this play. Think about love, family, growing up, understanding, compassion, and, of course, tragedy,” says Susan Tucker of Concord, the show’s lighting designer.
Lighting “How I Learned to Drive” requires tightly focused areas and colors to set the mood as well as specials [specific lighting instruments or effects] for when the character steps out of a scene to address the audience,” she says.
Tucker has been with the Players since 1972, and over the years, she has worked on props, set dressing, stage management, sound, and lighting. She says of the Vogel play, “While our musicals and comedies are extremely popular, there are many great plays that take on difficult subjects and offer interesting challenges to directors, actors, and the production team.”
“How I Learned to Drive” runs through November 23 at 51 Walden Performing Arts Center. Tickets, $24, are available via concordplayers.org.
