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How I Learned to Drive

Playwright Paula Vogel finds black humor in a difficult story

A A A Comments By Olivia Flores Alvarez Thursday, Jan 15 2009

Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play How I Learned to Driveis billed as a “coming-of-age…and a coming-to-terms story.” The show takes the form of a funny, biting educational driving film narrated by a woman named Lil Bit. Sexually abused by her uncle Peck during their driving lessons from the time she was 11 to 18, Lil Bit is facing the aftermath of the abuse, including her tangled thinking about what it means to sit behind the wheel of a car. Now an adult, Lil Bit recalls her family’s finely honed talent of remaining oblivious to unpleasant things and her own inability to reach out. While the subject matter doesn’t lend itself to laugh-out-loud punch lines, Vogel puts a sardonic spin on things and finds plenty of black humor to relieve the tension, including Peck’s sad end as Lil Bit moves on. This show isn’t intended for sensitive viewers, but those of us with a strong stomach and a sarcastic streak will enjoy it. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Through January 31. Country Playhouse, 12802 Queensbury. For information, call 713-467-4497 or visit www.countryplayhouse.org. $12.