"How I Learned to Drive" is a Triumphant Revival

Elizabeth Reaser and Norbert Leo Butz  in "How I Learned to Drive"  (abc)

When Paula Vogel's play "How I Learned to Drive" won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1997, it was both on the wave of consensus acclaim for the play, as well as one of a minority of plays to do so without the benefit of a Broadway production. 

Much has changed since that first New York production with David Morse and Mary Louise Parker at the Vineyard Theater. For one, it is now common for plays to win a Pulitzer without a Broadway production, particularly as the Great White Way has become ever more daunting a hill climb for the new playwright and the serious play.

For "Drive" is nothing if not serious, despite its expert balance of drama and humor, not to mention its implementation of theatrical conceits like the Greek chorus and direct address. Ostensibly the story of a young woman nicknamed Lil' Bit and her incestuous relationship with her Uncle Peck, in Vogel's astute hands, the play is about much more. For starters, there is a bracing examination of the nature of familiar love in its many forms, the role of women in 1960's suburban America, and the role of memory in shaping experience.

What makes "Drive" such compelling theater is not only Vogel's artful craft, but the spare, arresting staging by Kate Whoriskey at the enchanting Second Stage Theatre. The leads are played by two-time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz, fresh off his win for "Catch Me if You Can", and "Twilight" star Elizabeth Reaser. Three gifted actors round out the cast playing multiple roles, including the aforementioned Greek choruses. For those concerned that Reaser is a relatively unproven stage commodity, it's worth noting she is a Juilliard grad. 

Happily, both leads bring their all to two complex, challenging roles. If Reaser does seem a bit uncertain during the opening monologue, it's only because that is the character speaking, and the play soon takes over and the captivating relationship at the center of the story soon takes off. The pair spend much of their time together simply seated in adjacent chairs head on, downstage center. The play jumps back and forth in time in decidedly cinematic fashion, and the group scenes likewise manage to enliven the proceedings and seamlessly flesh out the central relationship with family dynamics. Jennifer Regan deserves special mention for a compelling monologue revealing her knowledge of the nature of her husband's relationship with their niece.

This is the sort of play that used to be a sure bet for Broadway back when, before the musical began eating up an increasingly larger slice of the commercial theater pie. Recent studies indicate the average Broadway season is comprised of over 75% musical v drama. While Vogel certainly deserves a Broadway credit for this modern American drama classic, it's exciting to discover a major Broadway star like Butz in a Pulitzer winner at first rate Off-Broadway theater. Here's hoping the show requires an extension to its limited run.