A Lovely Ride

“Driving Miss Daisy” is the 1988 Pulitzer Prize winning play by Alfred Uhry about a 73-year-old Jewish widow and her 60-year-old African American chauffeur.  The play spans the years 1948 to 1973, in the city of Atlanta. 

These are years of incredible change, especially in the South. The issues of the time arise in the dialogue of the play. Among these are race relations, Jewish assimilation into Christian society, the effects of the civil rights movement, old age and loneliness. These issues find their way into the lives of the characters but are not taken up in the play or dwelled upon. Instead, they serve to show in what ways the characters are alike, and how they are different. The play’s true theme emerges -- friendship.

There are only three actors in the play. The aging widow, Miss Daisy Werthan is played by Angie Short. Her son Boolie is played by Mark Galloway-Stillions, and Nat Martin plays Hoke Coleburn, the chauffeur Boolie hires to drive Miss Daisy when she can no longer drive herself. At first Miss Daisy is obstinate. She does not need a driver. She does not want Hoke in her house, and she does not want the ladies from the synagogue to think she believes she is superior by having a driver. She goes to the store on the trolley and refuses to let Hoke do any work to justify his salary. All along she maintains that the salary Boolie is paying Hoke is “highway robbery.”

At long last Miss Daisy consents to let Hoke drive her to the Piggly Wiggly. Slowly the relationship between Hoke and Miss Daisy begins to change. Miss Daisy is quick to help when she finds that Hoke cannot read. Hoke comes to work even when an ice storm has shut down Atlanta, and Miss Daisy is alone without power; he brings her a cup of coffee from the 7-Eleven. The friendship that develops is gradual and subtle, and at the end after a moment of elderly confusion Miss Daisy tells Hoke, “You’re my best friend.”

This cast is fantastic. Angie Short is absolutely rigid in the back seat of the car as Hoke is driving. She is contradictory and distrustful, sharp-witted with a sharp tongue. She fine tunes her walk and posture as Miss Daisy ages and as she becomes more comfortable and trusting of Hoke. Nat Martin is a treasure as Hoke. It cannot be easy to play a role so strongly identified with an actor of the caliber of Morgan Freeman, who originated the role off Broadway and won the Academy Award for his role in the film. Martin plays Hoke in his own way. He delivers an uncomplicated man who knows how to get his way, using the folksy dialogue to add unspoken meaning to his words. This play is Mark Galloway-Stillions first role. His Boolie is kind-hearted, earnest and long-suffering. He holds his own on the stage with the much more experienced actors in this show.

This show is directed by Barry West, who is borrowed from his role as managing director at OnStage Atlanta. This is his second show at New London Theatre. “Driving Miss Daisy” will run through June 26.

In addition, New London Theatre will hold summer camp June 20-24, June 27-July 1, July 11-15, and July 25-29.  Each week will be a different focus. For more information, see the website.