'Ma Walton' drives 'Miss Daisy' to Totem Pole stage
FAYETTEVILLE - The stars of Totem Pole Playhouse’s “Driving Miss Daisy” say that the Pulitzer Prize-winning play is both powerful and serious with a liberal splash of humor. They also say it is still performed often because it is partly a conversation about race relations, and that conversation is far from over in this country.
Ms. Michael Learned and Lance E. Nichols star in the season’s first production for the little theater on South Mountain.
Four-time Emmy Award Winner Learned is best known for her portrayal of Olivia Walton from the classic TV series “The Waltons.” That show can still be as seen locally weekdays at 3 and 4 p.m. on the Inspire Network. Learned is Daisy Werthan, a well-to-do Southern white Jewish lady in mid-century Atlanta.
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Miss Daisy and Hoke are both up in years. Daisy has wrecked her car, and has been forced to give up driving. Her son, Boolie Werthan, played by Shippensburg’s Paris Peet, insists that she have a driver, period. Daisy is none too happy about the arrangement. Over a quarter of a century in their roles as driver and passenger, the two representatives of two humans who are outsiders in the larger world develop a deep-rooted affection and understanding for one another. During the course of the dialogue, the audience is tuned into racial tensions, the passage of time, and the experience of aging between two who come to admire one another’s independence, strength, and integrity.
Nichols grew up in New Orleans, but said he was young enough to have missed the ugliest utterances of racial hatred.
“By the time I was aware, Jim Crow was over with. My sister, though, went to the zoo one day,” he said. “They all got tired and sat on a park bench. Two white cops on horseback came over and told them to leave, because the benches were only for white people.”
“During the play, Daisy begins to realize that she has prejudice,” said Learned. “Even Hoke has prejudices. We have come a long way since then, but we have a lot of work to do still. It will take a while before racial hatred is gone, maybe another generation.”
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Nichols remarked that relations between races has much improved since the time in which “Driving” is set.
“But we have not reached a racial utopia,” he said. “If somebody tells you we have, it’s b***s**t.”
Learned said people owe themselves to “have a long dialogue” about racial relationships.
“We’re not there yet,” she said. “’Driving Miss Daisy’ is a very deep play, which it is still being performed.
Learned and Nichols are hardly novices at the play. They have performed it seven times over the years.
Every time they do it, there is something novel.
“We’re constantly discovering new things,” said Nichols.
“Driving Miss Daisy is directed by Michael Bloom, with stage management by Shannon Sturgis, set design by Jim Fouchard, costumes by Jackie Rebok, lighting by Tom Ryan and sound design by Aerik Harbert..
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Show times are:
May 26, 8 p.m. ; May 27, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; May 28, 2 p.m.; May 30, 2 p.m.; May 31, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; June 1, 8 p.m.; June 2, 8 p.m.; June 3, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; June 4, 2 p.m.; June 6, 2 p.m.; June 7, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; June 8, 8 p.m.; June 9, 8 p.m.; June 10, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; June 11, 2 p.m.
For information on tickets and the other shows coming this season, visit totempoleplayhouse.org or call the toll-free number, 888-805-7056, or local number, 717-352-2164 for more information.