How I Learned to Drive | How I Learned to Drive

At a glance:

Author: Paula Vogel
First Published: 1997
Type of Plot: Coming of age; memory play
Time of Work: 1969-1997
Setting: Suburban Maryland
Principal Characters: Li’l Bit, Peck, Male Greek Chorus, Female Greek Chorus, Teenage Greek Chorus
Genres: Bildungsroman, Domestic realism, Drama, Memory play
Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, Family or family life, Sex or sexuality, Alcoholism or alcoholics, Child abuse, Domestic violence, Incest, Automobiles
Locales: Maryland

The Play

How I Learned to Drive uses a series of nonlinear scenes from the memory of Li’l Bit, who reveals her complex emotional and sexual relationship with her Uncle Peck. The scenes jump instantaneously back and forth in time on a neutral stage with minimal props. Li’l Bit is portrayed at various ages.

A one-act play, How I Learned to Drive begins with a disembodied voice saying “Safety First—You and Driver Education.” This technique is used throughout the play to indicate how and where each scene is located within the overall narrative. On a...

How I Learned to Drive | How I Learned to Drive

At a glance:

The Play

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