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Santa Monica Rep will present the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, How I Learned to Drive, by
Paula Vogel at The Santa Monica Little Theater, opening Friday, November 2, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SANTA MONICA, CA, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012 -
Santa Monica Rep will present Paula Vogel’s award-winning play, How I Learned to Drive, at
The Santa Monica Little Theater. The production will open November 2 and run Fridays and
Saturdays at 8PM except for Thanksgiving weekend when performances will be Saturday at
8PM and Sunday at 7PM
How I Learned to Drive won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Lucille ...Read More
Santa Monica Rep will present the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, How I Learned to Drive, by
Paula Vogel at The Santa Monica Little Theater, opening Friday, November 2, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SANTA MONICA, CA, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012 -
Santa Monica Rep will present Paula Vogel’s award-winning play, How I Learned to Drive, at
The Santa Monica Little Theater. The production will open November 2 and run Fridays and
Saturdays at 8PM except for Thanksgiving weekend when performances will be Saturday at
8PM and Sunday at 7PM
How I Learned to Drive won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Lucille Lortel award for
Outstanding Play, the Drama Desk Award, and the Obie Award. Playwright Paula Vogel also
received The American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Literature in 2004.
The play explores the dynamic between Li'l Bit, a young girl coming of age during the 1960s,
and her much-older Uncle Peck, who engages his well-endowed niece in an unsettling
relationship while giving her driving lessons. Although Li'l Bit's feelings about her uncle are
complex and conflicted, Peck is the only member of her dysfunctional family who understands
and supports her. Under his tutelage, Li'l Bit gains a sense of control that she lacks in the rest of
her life. A brave depiction of the bumpy road to forgiveness, How I Learned to Drive is a
funny, devastating, and surprising tale of survival.
How I Learned to Drive will be directed by Santa Monica Rep co-founder Jen Bloom (The
Tempest), who worked as an assistant on the original NY production and is excited to reexamine
the play after many years. The play is a co-production with Ross Canton and The
Santa Monica Little Theater, and boasts a cast starring Broadway’s Corey Brill (The Best Man,
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) as Uncle Peck, Barbara Jean Urich (SM Rep’s The
Tempest, Bright Room Called Day) as Li’l Bit, and Brian Slaten (SM Rep’s The Rubber Room,
Learned Ladies), Shannon Esra (TV’s Life is Wild), and Yael Berkovich (SM Rep’s Asher
Lev, Bright Room Called Day) as the Greek Chorus. Lighting design will be by Lewis Stout
(SM Rep’s Proof), with costume design by Madeline Keller (SM Rep’s Proof, The Tempest).
Tickets to How I Learned to Drive will be available through the Santa Monica Rep website,
www.santamonicarep.org, beginning October 1st. General admission is $20; student & senior
tickets are $15. A special Opening Night price of $35 includes a post-show champagne toast
and reception with the cast and creative team.
Press inquiries and interview requests can be directed to Santa Monica Rep’s Artistic Director
Eric Bloom at eric@santamonicarep.org / 213.268.1454
ABOUT SANTA MONICA REP
Now entering their third season, Santa Monica Rep strives to bring quality theater to the
community. After presenting a reading series at the Santa Monica Public Library, Santa Monica
Rep was awarded a prestigious residency to perform The Tempest at the Annenberg Beach
House. The company then held a Gala performance at the historic Bertolt Brecht House, and
recently presented David Auburn’s Proof at the Church in Ocean Park. The company was
invited back to the library to perform a six-month staged reading series, which has been
attended by over 400 audience members to date. These free events are an important part of
Santa Monica Rep’s community outreach efforts.
Performance Schedule
Wednesday October 31 Preview 8PM Pay what you can (reservations required)
Thursday November 1 Preview 8PM Pay what you can (reservations required)
Friday November 2 Opening 8PM
Saturday November 3 8PM
Friday November 9 8PM
Saturday November 10 8PM
Friday November 16 8PM
Saturday November 17 8PM
Saturday November 24 8PM
Sunday November 25 7PM
Friday November 30 8PM
Saturday December 1 8PM
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