Driving Miss Daisy
by Vexler Theatre
Jul. 21 (2019)
Set in Deep South, 1948, just prior to the civil rights movement. Having recently demolished another car, Daisy is informed by her son Boolie that henceforth she must rely on the services of a chauffeur, Hoke, whom Miss Daisy immediately regards with disdain and who, in turn, is not impressed with his employer's patronizing tone and, he believes, her latent prejudice.
But, in a series of absorbing scenes spanning twenty-five years, the two, despite their mutual differences, grow ever closer to, and more dependent on, each other, until, eventually, they become almost a couple. Slowly and steadily the dignified, good-natured Hoke breaks down the stern defenses of the ornery old lady, as she teaches him to read and write and, in a gesture of good will and shared concern, invites him to join her at a banquet in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
As the play ends Hoke has a final visit with Miss Daisy, now ninety-seven and confined to a nursing home, and while it is evident that a vestige of her fierce independence and sense of position still remain, it is also movingly clear that they have both come to realize they have more in common than they ever believed possible - and that times and circumstances would ever allow them to publicly admit.
AUDITION ANNOUNCEMENT
Directed by John O'Neill
*Please let us know if you are interested in auditioning but unavailable this date.
AUDITION INFORMATION
- Review the rehearsal and production schedule below & confirm your availability.
- Email The Vex to request an audition appointment.
- Prepare a monologue of your choice, not from the show, and not to exceed one minute in length.
- Auditions may also include a cold reading from the script or other materials.
- All roles are open and will be cast on a volunteer basis.
REHEARSAL INFORMATION
- Rehearsals will begin mid-September with a few possible meetings before then.
- A typical Vex rehearsal schedule is Monday through Thursday, 7pm-10pm. Fridays and weekends will be added if needed due to conflicts.
- The final two weeks and weekends of rehearsals leading up to the October 24 opening will be busy, and all actors are expected to be available.
- Actors should be predominantly off-book by the end of September.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
- Show Dates: October 24 - November 17, 2019
- Performance Times: Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Saturdays @ 8pm, Sundays @ 2:30pm (tentative evening performance one Sunday)
- Call times are one hour before each curtain.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
- Daisy Werthan (Female, 60s-70s) - A wealthy, sharp-tongued Jewish widow
- Boolie Werthan (Male, 40s-50s) - Daisy's son; Hoke's employer
- Hoke (Male, 50s-60s) - A thoughtful, unemployed black man who becomes Daisy's chauffeur
