OSH's DRIVING MISS DAISY Opens Tonight

Open Stage of Harrisburg (OSH) presents Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic DRIVING MISS DAISY, today, October 3-19, 2014. OSH co-founder and Education Director Anne Alsedek will perform the title role.

DRIVING MISS DAISY will play at the intimate Angino Family Theatre at Open Stage, 223 Walnut St, on the street level of the Walnut Street Garage in Downtown Harrisburg.

When Daisy Werthan, rich, sharp-tongued and Jewish, demolishes yet another car, her son, Boolie,decides it's time to hire a chauffeur. Little does he realize that the thoughtful, but uneducated, HokeColeburn will become a major influence in Daisy's life over the next 25 years. Set in Atlanta, Georgia between 1948 and 1973, DRIVING MISS DAISY is often praised for its sincerity, dignity and honesty in exploring the sensitive issues of racial, geographical and religious prejudice. Ann Alsedekreturns to the OSH stage in the role of Daisy Werthan. Anne and her husband Donald L. Alsedek founded Open Stage in 1983.

DRIVING MISS DAISY playwright Alfred Uhry is distinguished as the only American playwright tohave won a Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award and two Tony Awards. A graduate of Brown University,Uhry began his professional career writing for musical theatre, often working for Frank Loesser. His firstmajor success came in 1975 when he wrote the book and lyrics for THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM. His first play, DRIVING MISS DAISY, which is based on Uhry's own grandmother and her chauffeur,opened off Broadway in 1987 starring Dana Ivy, Morgan Freeman and Ray Gill. It ran for three years and won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Outer Critics Circle Award. The play was adapted by Uhry for the 1989 screen version featuring Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman and Dan Aykroyd. The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won four: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Makeup and Best Screenplay for Uhry. In October 2010, a revival of DRIVING MISS DAISY opened in New York,starring James Earl Jones, Vanessa Redgrave and Boyd Gains, marking the play's first time on Broadway.Uhry received Tony Awards for Best Play for THE LAST NIGHT OF THE BALLYHOO (1997) and Best Book of a Musical for PARADE (1999). His other recent work includes the plays WITHOUT WALLS, EDGARDO MINEA and the book for the musical LOVEMUSIK. OSH Executive Artistic Director Donald L. Alsedek will direct DRIVING MISS DAISY. In addition to Mrs. Alsedek, the cast includes Dan Burke as Daisy's son Boolie Werthan and Aaron Bomar as Hoke Coleburn. DRIVING MISS DAISY is the first production in OSH's Season 29 Subscription Series.

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