Reviewed by Tony Annicone
The current show at Wilbury Theatre Group is The Pulitzer Prize winning “How I Learned How to Drive” by Paula Vogel. The story revolves around a teenager’s driving lessons and still delivers an emotional punch this some twenty years later. “How I Learned How to Drive” traverses taboo territory with humor, heart and empathy. They sensitively establish the intense, if unhealthy rapport between a sympathetic pedophile and a niece who learns a lot more than she needs to know from him. This memory play contain the memories of the narrator, L’il Bit a grown woman looking back on her white-trash family and rural upbringing in Maryland in the 1960’s and 70’s.
Director Wendy Overly makes sure the audience understands that this girl is a neglected 11 year old, a curious 13 year old, a self conscious 16 year old or a college student who finally stands up to Uncle Peck at last. Alcoholic and unhappy Uncle Peck comes across as patient, kind and gentle presenting a false facade to fool the young girl. There is a Greek chorus of secondary characters who play the mother, grandmother and grandfather and various characters throughout the show. It fits right in with the #Me Too movement as an example of the bad behavior of this seemingly kind but abusive man. It shows how we are shaped by people who have hurt us in the past. It also gives you hope that you can eventually overcome these problems and survive your harrowing childhood while looking back with a self awareness that the blame was on whomever molested her uncle those many years ago.
Director Wendy Overly casts these five roles excellently and at first it seemingly sheds a positive aura around the depraved uncle, until when the girl is in college does she finally push the monster away once and for all. Wendy keeps the 100 minute show moving along beautifully while giving it high energy. She also brings out the humorous aspects of the show with the girl’s white trash family explaining sexual escapades to their daughter and granddaughter. Wendy also elicits many tears as the pathos pours out in the dramatic moments. She moves the playing action around the theatre keeping the interest of the audience at all times. Playing L’il Bit is Tanya Anderson who does a masterful job in this role while dealing with a very serious subject. Since the time changes during these vignettes, the years are announced and Tanya changes hair styles to reflect the age of the character. She plays this role on many different levels, giving depth and substance to this character. The scene where the Uncle first molests her is gut wrenching and terrifying to watch. Brava on a phenomenal job.
As the deviant Uncle Peck is the multitalented Jim O’Brien who brings this monstrous man to life. In real life, Jim is one of the nicest people around but he captures the manipulative behavior of the Uncle while he plies the girl with liquor, taking photos of her when she’s 13 and giving her driving lessons while molesting her. He shows how a predator can be a wolf in sheep’s clothing which is very apparent with #Me Too movement and the child abuse scandals of the Catholic Church. Wendy also gives her Greek chorus their moments to shine in the show. They play many roles. Lee Rush is a hoot as L’il Bit’s mother who tells her what to drink when she dates a boy, Scott Irvine is the lascivious Grandfather that is always commenting on her big boobs and Kelly Robertson plays the grandmother who explains that her husband has a big one and how he had his way with her on their wedding night in graphic detail. So for a funny as well as dramatic show, be sure to catch “How I Learned to Drive” at Wilbury Theatre Group. It is a very well acted and directed show in this time of the #Me Too movement as tackles such a serious situation with humor and pathos to it. The show has been extended by one week until October 7.
HOW I LEARNED HOW TO DRIVE (13 September to 7 October)
The Wilbury Theatre Group, 40 Sonoma Drive, Providence, RI
1(401)400-7100 or www.thewilburygroup.org
