BWW Reviews: Ford's Theatre Production of DRIVING MISS DAISY is Anything But Tired

By: Oct. 01, 2014
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

If Alfred Uhry's Driving Miss Daisy seems like a logical and appropriate choice to you as a season opener for Ford's Theatre, you'd probably be joined by many people with a similar viewpoint. The 1988 Pulitzer Prize-winning play turned Oscar-winning movie offers a recognizable title and an opportunity for three strong, distinguished actors to showcase their skills. Any production of this play would likely seem right at home at a theatre that's never shied away from presenting works that focus on America's checkered past, especially when it comes to religious, ethnic/racial relations. The play, like many others Ford's has staged, also allows ample opportunity to consider the applicability of history lessons to address contemporary social issues.

Turns out, the decision Ford's Theatre Society made to present this award-winning work might not have only been a good idea in theory, but also in execution. Longtime DC theatre favorites Nancy Robinette (Daisy Werthan) and Craig Wallace (Hoke Coleburn) are perfectly cast and give the kind of memorable performances one might expect from the duo. Ford's newcomer Ron Heneghan - probably best known in this area for his work at Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre - also holds his own as Boolie Werthan. Likewise, one has to appreciate Director Jennifer L Nelson's decision to let the enduring work speak for itself.

In this production in particular, the focus is on the relationship between the three characters and Daisy/Hoke in particular. When we meet the headstrong and opinionated 70-something Daisy, she's at odds with her business-oriented son, Boolie. She's just crashed her car and Boolie thinks it's time for her to step away from the wheel and rely on a hired, chauffeur to get to the grocery store, the temple, and other places she frequents in her hometown of Atlanta. Daisy is concerned with how others will perceive this new development - particularly from a socioeconomic standpoint - and is also staunchly against anything that will compromise her independence. Nevertheless, Boolie goes against his mother's will and hires a very experienced African American chauffer. Hoke is eager to work for him and is willing to deal with his challenging mother (he considers the fact that she can't be worse than the Christian women he's had to deal with in the past). Although initially deferential to the sharp-tongued Daisy - who refuses to accept his services for nearly a week - he makes clear he has a backbone, while still being mindful of his place in the mid-20th century American South and in the Werthan household in particular. Here, it should be noted, that Wallace is particularly good at balancing Hoke's confident personality and immense inner-strength with his understanding of how he "needs" to behave in the world he lives in. It's effective.

Slowly but surely and probably contrary to initial expectations, Daisy and Hoke learn to respect and cherish one another and develop a unique bond that lasts far into old age. Both Wallace and Robinette play off each other well to make this evolution believable. They are hugely successful in establishing that in the course of the relationship the strength of the shared bond changes, but the individuals fundamentally do not. While they may age outwardly - aided by Anne Nesmith's wig/makeup designs and actor-driven changes in how Daisy/Hoke move about the stage - their identities, which are well-established at the beginning of the play, are steady state. Robinette, well-practiced in numerous "firecracker" roles, for example, gives us a Daisy that's not prickly for prickly-sake, but one that's well aware of where she has come from, where she is, and who she is. Different levels of spark and intensity can be found within her performance, which are informed by the moment in the story and the state of her relationship with Hoke/Boolie. I, for one, appreciated that she resists a one-note portrayal of a brash woman. She is always mindful of Daisy's inner-spark and how it informs her reaction to any given situation, lands all of the jokes, but never lets Daisy turn into a caricature.

Through a series of scenarios and sketches, Uhry's play fundamentally tracks Daisy and Hoke's relationship for several decades. It places the enduring yet sometimes contentious relationship in the context of the somewhat-changing-but-really-not landscape of racial/ethnic/religious relations in America's South (Elisheba Ittoop's sound design is instrumental in providing this context). Yet, in this production, never does the sociopolitical message inherent in the script seem to take precedence over telling the story of these two different people and the bond they form. The underlying, broader message is apparent, but never overshadows the intimate story on display.

Unlike several other productions of this play, the Ford's production features relatively minimal set elements (Tony Cisek) rather than overly complicated massive sets and/or projections to establish time, place, and social context. While it's highly unlikely that anything could overshadow Robinette and Wallace's tour-de-force performances (or Heneghan's strong contribution for that matter), the artistic choice is still beneficial at it ensures total attention on the interplay between the three players. These set elements - including the all-important car (comprised of two benches and a steering wheel on a platform) - as well as Dan Covey's lighting design help define the passage of time, but also the enduring nature of the world that Daisy and Hoke inhabit and their relationship with one another.

All in all, Driving Miss Daisy offers a strong start to Ford's season! It's anything but a same-old kind of production of a familiar play.

Driving Miss Daisy plays through October 26, 2014 at Ford's Theatre - 511 10 Street, NW in Washington, DC. For tickets, call Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787 or purchase them online.

Photo: Nancy Robinette as Daisy and Craig Wallace as Hoke in the Ford's Theatre production of "Driving Miss Daisy," directed by Jennifer L. Nelson. Photo by Scott Suchman.



Videos