Paula Vogel

A woman identified only by her childhood nickname Li'l Bit talks about sexual trauma from her past that continues to haunt her.

This was a powerful read about how a young girl tries to deals with incestuous overtures by her uncle, many made when he was purportedly teaching her how to drive. Although there's clearly one person who is fully responsible for her sexual assault, this play shows how a whole society contributes to this terrible tragedy with off-color jokes about the human body, jealous wives who blame the victim, a refusal to talk to teenagers about safe sex, using sexuality to sell products, etc. etc.

Although the subject material is difficult, I would be interested in seeing this play live some day if possible as Vogel's stage directions seem incredibly creative even when I wasn't able to fully conceptualize them. For instance, she calls for various street signs to show up at different times, for a trio of "Greek chorus" actors to pop in as assorted characters throughout the play, and so on.

Not for the faint of heart, but this is overall an important work.… (mer)

Both of plays in this collection render a truly strange set of family circumstances. In How I Learned to Drive it's a sexual between uncle and daughter and in Mineola Twins it's a fractured relationship between twin sisters. What's so impressive and enjoyable about each is the emotional depth of these interactions, and how Vogel mines the characters attitudes. Lil' Bit wrestles with her affection for Peck and does not simply vilify his actions while Peck himself is certainly twisted but there are brief sparks of light in his character's moral attitudes. Both Myra and Myrna recite Bible verses and remind the audience of the complicated perspectives in a sibling relationship, which extends to the social and political realm as well.… (mer)

This is one of those plays where everyone is dying to know - is it autobiographical? Because whenever a play is written about sexual abuse of a child, people definitely poke around hoping to find the author in the story. I don't know if it's autobiographical; I do know that it's a powerful and unforgettable play, where the driving lessons are actually a metaphor for the coming of age process. The author bends time and place, and throws linear structure out the window, and it works. The format lends a surreal nature to an all too real story, and makes it perhaps more bearable. A well written play, perhaps a bit underwritten which isn't always a bad thing.… (mer)