PR2010 Apr U4

THEATRE TUSCALOOSA PRESENTS DRIVING MISS DAISY

TUSCALOOSA -- Theatre Tuscaloosa will present the play ‘‘Driving Miss Daisy’’ by Alfred Uhry, April 23 -- May

2, at the Bean-Brown Theatre on the Martin Campus of Shelton State Community College, 9500 Old Greensboro

Road.

The production teams theater veterans Drew Baker and Charles Prosser with stage newcomer Dave Rogers.

Tickets, $17-adult; $14-seniors (60+); $10-students with I.D. and Shelton State employees; and $5-Shelton State

students, are available through Theatre Tuscaloosa’s Web site, www.theatretusc.com, or by calling the ticket

office at 205.391.2277. Discounts for groups of 10 or more are also available.

Uhry’s ‘‘Driving Miss Daisy’’ premiered in 1987 as an off-broadway story about the relationship that a strongwilled,

Southern Jewish widow, Daisy Werthan, shares with her African-American chauffeur, Hoke Coleburn,

over the span of several decades. At first Daisy is not the least bit happy about a loss of independence when her

son, Boolie, hires an unemployed black man into her service. Despite their obvious and latent individual

differences, the scenes play out and the two grow ever closer to and more dependent on each other through their

experiences together. The play won Uhry a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1988. The 1989 Warner Bros. film by the

same title won the 1989 Academy Award for Best Picture.

Charles Prosser (Boolie) once made a list of 25 musicals and non-musicals in which he would like to act before

"shuffling off this mortal coil," and ‘‘Driving Miss Daisy’’ was one of them. He is thrilled to be on stage with one

of his favorite acting partners, Drew Baker, and the process has been a magical one since the very first rehearsal.

With talented newcomer to the Theatre Tuscaloosa stage, Dave Rogers, playing Hoke and veteran actor, Jeff

Wilson, directing this classic of the modern American theatre, the journey has been all the more enjoyable.

Prosser is a long-time regular at Theatre Tuscaloosa appearing at least one show per season since 1995. Past

shows include ‘‘Man of La Mancha,’’ ‘‘A Little Night Music,’’ ‘‘Diary of Anne Frank,’’ ‘‘Dearly Departed,’’ ‘‘Big

River,’’ ‘‘1776,’’ ‘‘Smoke on the Mountain,’’ and ‘‘My Fair Lady.’’ He also directed ‘‘Greater Tuna’’ earlier this

season.

Drew Baker (Miss Daisy) won a T-Earle award for best supporting actress in her last appearance on the Bean

Brown stage as Charlotte in ‘‘A Little Night Music.’’ Other credits include ‘‘Dearly Departed,’’ ‘‘Rumors,’’ ‘‘The

Music Man,’’ ‘‘Steel Magnolias,’’ ‘‘Arsenic and Old Lace,’’ ‘‘Moon Over Buffalo,’’ and ‘‘Plaza Suite.’’

While Dave Rodgers (Hoke Coleburn) has experience in commercial voiceovers for local radio and television,

his introduction to theatre came last year when Executive Producer Tina Turley plucked him out of the Shelton

hallway to play the role of Preacher in James Weldon Johnson’s ‘‘God’s Trombones.’’ ‘‘Tina said that she liked my

voice and the next thing I knew I was on the stage,’’ says Rogers. Dave recently retired after over 34 years of

service for the United States Army and is now the Assistant Director of Corporate Training for TEBI at Shelton

State.

Theatre Tuscaloosa audiences know Jeff Wilson’s work as an actor. His versatility has allowed him to play a

multitude of characters over the last 20+ years, including Father Flynn in ‘‘Doubt,’’ Stanley in ‘‘Smoke on the

Mountain,’’ Salieri in ‘‘Amadeus,’’ Stanley in ‘‘A Streetcar Named Desire,’’ Thomas Jefferson in ‘‘1776,’’ Atticus

Finch in ‘‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’’ Willie Loman in ‘‘Death of a Salesman,’’ and most recently various roles in the

two-man zany comedy ‘‘Greater Tuna,’’ and the entire 60 year life-span of Andrew Makepeace III in ‘‘Love

Letters.’’ Director is a new role for Wilson and Theatre Tuscaloosa is delighted that ‘‘Driving Miss Daisy’’ will be

his directing debut for the organization.

Theatre Tuscaloosa welcomes back Tuscaloosa native, Wheeler Kincaid, to design scenery and lights for the

production. Kincaid grew up in Tuscaloosa and was involved as designer and actor for Tuscaloosa Children’s

Theater, University of Alabama Theater, and Theatre Tuscaloosa. He designed the critically acclaimed ‘‘Doubt’’

last year. Kincaid currently lives and works as a designer in New York City.

Tina F. Turley is the Executive Producer and Sound Designer for the production; Jeanette Waterman is the

costume designer; Simon Levy serves as Technical Director; and Ashlyn Lambert is the Stage Manager.

‘‘Driving Miss Daisy’’ opens Friday, April 23, 2010, at the Bean-Brown Theatre. The production runs Saturday,

April 24 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 25 at 2 p.m.; Wednesday, April 28 at 2 p.m.; Thursday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m.;

Friday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m.; and closes Sunday, May 2 at 2 p.m.. Tickets may be

purchased by calling 205.391.2277 or online at www.theatretusc.com.

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