This post was written by Hatchet reporter Hanna Cunningham.
Daisy Werthan was sitting at the kitchen table in her house without power in Atlanta, Ga. when Hoke Colburn walked into the room carrying her coffee.
The audience watched this scene, hopeful, as an unlikely friendship developed between an elderly white woman and her black chauffeur in Alfred Uhry’s “Driving Miss Daisy.”
This play is the Pulitzer Prize-winning first in a series of three plays that follows the lives of different characters who encounter racism in the mid-20th century. Daisy (Nancy Robinette) comes to accept her chauffeur, Hoke Colburn (Craig Wallace), after Daisy’s son hires Hoke.
Both actors delivered heartfelt and passionate performances at a preview Tuesday at Ford’s Theatre, making the audience laugh throughout the show – like when Daisy’s frustration reaches a peak as Hoke drives the wrong way to the market.
The set included a car on a moving platform, which served as a centerpiece as Hoke drove Daisy from place to place. Other scenes were centered around a large desk that was part of the office of Daisy’s son, Boolie.
At one point in the play, Daisy teaches the illiterate Hoke how to say “Bower” – the name of a deceased friend – by slowly and shakily working through each syllable. The affectionate nature of the scene showcases the start of their friendship.
Although the play examines serious issues like racism and segregation, the actors were able to bring a lighthearted quality to the performance without cutting out the historical tension of its setting. Both actors have starred in other prominent D.C. shows, including performances at Ford’s Theatre: Wallace in “Our Town” and “The Laramie Project,” and Robinette in “The Carpetbagger’s Children.”
During one scene, Daisy attends a dinner to honor Martin Luther King Jr., and the audio technicians played clips from the orator’s “I Have A Dream” speech that added to the play’s sense of hope and anticipation for times of justice.
The actors were able to show the connections and emotions that developed as Daisy comes to know and respect Hoke. Though Daisy appears hesitant at the beginning of the play, by its end she begins to regard Hoke with the warmth of a friend.
“Driving Miss Daisy,” Ford’s Theatre, 511 10 St. NW. Tickets: $20-40 via Ticketmaster. Performances run until Oct. 26.
