There is no easy or pretty way to approach the subject of pedophilia, which playwright Paula Vogel explores in “How I Learned to Drive”. Tongue in Cheek Theater's well-crafted production of this Pulitzer Prize-winning play is currently at the Bridge Theater, and while it may not be the easiest play to watch, it is worth seeing.
In a small Maryland town, Li'l Bit (played by Jake Lipman, also the director) has been sexually, emotionally, and mentally abused by her manipulative and calculating Uncle Peck (Lynn Berg). Uncle Peck constantly reminds Li'l Bit that they aren’t related by blood: in his own mind, and, to some extent, in Li'l Bit's, his sexual insinuations and malicious traps of his young niece are therefore excused. The play works backwards in time, starting from Li'l Bit’s life as a grown up woman and working back to her experiences as to a 11-year-old girl.
For Li'l Bit, there is no escape from this constant, incestuous invasion of body and mind. The world Vogel has created is that of a small-minded, ignorant family, where sexual abuse and disappointment has been a resounding theme for generations. The family’s nicknames for each other, including Li'l Bit’s, all refer to sexual organs; the constant snickering of how large Li'l Bit’s chest has developed goes well beyond harmless jokes.
The adults in the family, overwhelmed by their own problems, past and present, fail to help Li'l Bit. Li'l Bit’s mother, Lucy (Shelley Little), has a moment where she suspects that Uncle Peck is plotting to violate her daughter, but her actions to protect her daughter are simply empty words. She is blinded by her own mistakes and shortcomings in her own unhappy and failed relationship with Li'l Bit’s now-absent father. The only person who could possibly save Li'l Bit from the years of abuse is her Aunt Mary (played by Holland Hamilton), Uncle Peck’s wife. Yet Aunt Mary is stifled by jealousy of Li'l Bit and the attention she is receiving from her husband.
The audience from the beginning to end is taken on an emotional and heartbreaking drive through Li'l Bit’s life, where she is the innocent victim over and over again. Luckily, there are some moments during which we can stop to breathe: the chorus provides driving instructions, tips for how young ladies should act with men, and self-confessions.
As director, Lipman uses the small space creatively, though slower pacing would perhaps have created more tension; the actors are fluid through transitions of time and space. With its bittersweet humor, Vogel’s play is able bring us into a world that unfortunately plagues so many innocent girls and boys: it is a topical and intimate piece, one that reminds us how quickly and easily loss of innocence occurs.
Performances of "How I Learned to Drive" continue at the Bridge Theater through November 2. Check out our full event listing here: https://stagebuddy.com/listingdetail.php?lid=15700
