Theater Review

Tom Titus

The presence of an elaborate, authentic-looking setting -- such as the

several tons of sand used at the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse for its most

recent production, “Coastal Disturbances” -- is nice, but not really

necessary for maximum dramatic impact.

That same theater is deriving as much audience involvement, if not more,

on a bare stage populated by two chairs for its current production,

Alfred Urhy’s “Driving Miss Daisy.”

This warm and compelling story of an elderly Jewish woman in Atlanta and

her black chauffeur, who develop an inseparable bond over a quarter of a

century, is presented with tenderness, warmth and more genuine,

laugh-out-loud humor than might be anticipated.

Director Jack Millis gives these two diverse characters, as well as the

mediator figure represented by the woman’s grown son, a wonderful focus

and dimension.

Contrasting personalities -- always the stuff of effective theater from

“The Odd Couple” to “True West” -- are the principal ingredients of

Uhry’s lovingly told, richly painted saga stretching from the late 1940s

to the 1970s. Advancements in racial relations in the South are touched

upon, but not allowed to overshadow the tender, heartwarming human drama

played out between these empathetic opposites.

When first we encounter her, Miss Daisy is a stubborn and fiercely

independent 72-year-old widow who has just smashed up her latest

automobile and is advised by her son to get out from behind the wheel and

accept a chauffeur -- whom the son, a successful businessman, will hire

and compensate. That transition alone is traumatic enough, and the story

is just unfolding.

The driver, Hoke, is not much younger than Daisy, and brings his own

complex personality to the proceedings. Candid as he can be in the

mid-century South and scrupulously ethical, he wins the old lady’s trust

and affection gradually, without sacrificing his own individuality or

inherent dignity.

Millis has chosen a superior cast to interpret this well-known story,

headed by the marvelous Teri Ciranna, one of Orange County’s most

accomplished actresses, in the role that won Jessica Tandy her second

Oscar. Ciranna enriches her crotchety character with natural mood

shadings, always remaining within bounds of believability and depicting

the aging process -- she progresses into her 90s -- with remarkable

clarity.

As Hoke, George Norment is called upon to be both servant and diplomat,

guarding his employer’s welfare with or without her sanction. Norment

brings a splendid aura of wisdom steeped in experience to the role,

exhibiting the patience of a saint as he caters to the often-erratic

whims of the old lady, who is ever-reluctant to admit her shortcomings.

Thom Gilbert portrays the concerned son, charged with guarding the

welfare of both other characters, with a delicately balanced sense of

duty and reality. As his career is on the ascent, he remains the

emotional guardian of his aging mother until at last he relinquishes this

duty to the loyal and dedicated Hoke.

Millis’ staging -- which utilizes the bare minimum of set pieces and

props (three telephones extending from the wings) -- benefits from subtle

shadings in illumination and period background music (Eartha Kitt’s

“Santa Baby” establishes the early 1950s).

The production makes “Our Town” appear lavishly detailed by comparison,

yet because of the richly delineated performances of the three actors

involved, it calls successfully on the audience’s imagination to fill in

the rest of the picture.

“Driving Miss Daisy” is a warm, winning production making its first

appearance on the local scene. The movie may have stolen your heart, but

the live version adds a further dimension of reality that may bring

audiences -- as it did opening night -- to their feet in praise.

TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews appear

Thursdays and Saturdays.

CUTLINE: Teri Ciranna and Thom Gilbert are mother and son in “Driving

Miss Daisy” at the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse.

WHAT: “Driving Miss Daisy”

WHERE: Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse, 611 Hamilton St., Costa Mesa

WHEN: Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. until

April 30

HOW MUCH: $13

PHONE: (949) 650-5269