How I Learned to Drive
How I Learned to Drive is a play written by Paula Vogel that was first premiered in 1997 at the Vineyard Theatre. The main characters of the play are Li’l Bit – the main character of the play who appears first to us as an 11 year old girl. Her uncle, Uncle Peck, molests the girl while giving her a driving lesson. Audience follows a timeline of Li’l Bit’s young years while her uncle tries to take advantage of her. When the girl reaches her legal age, Uncle Peck opens up and tells that he wants to be sexually involved with her and, all in all, marry the girl. When Li’l Bit grows up, she reflects on what influence Uncle Peck had on her life, and comes to a conclusion that he gave her freedom (Encyclopedia.com).
The play is portrayed in flashbacks of Li’l Bit and her uncle driving. The audience is taken into the deepest thoughts of the main character opening up all the details about her childhood. The set and decorations of the stage are pretty dim and dark. One might think that it is being portrayed as a dark night and a little old car, in which all the happenings occurred. The setup is simple with just a few props on stage. The production of How I Learned to Drive also includes Male Greek Chorus, Female Greek Chorus and the Teenage Greek Chorus which just add up to the intensity of the play. The circumstances of Li’l Bit refusing to be involved with the uncle impact the play the most as a whole. It makes the girl realize what the intensions of the man are, and help to start reflecting on the past as the years go by.
Works Cited
Encyclopedia.com,. "How I Learned To Drive - Drama For Students | Encyclopedia.Com". N.p., 2016. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.
