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“When making a left turn, you must downshift while going forward:” Reading, Analyzing & Staging of Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive as a Senior Directorial
Funk, Cecilia Rose
Funk, Cecilia Rose
Abstract
This paper contains a complete look at research and dramaturgical analysis of Paula Vogel's 1997 How I Learned to Drive in preparation for my senior directorial. How I Learned to Drive is a memory play following a woman, Li'l Bit, as she looks back at the relationship she had with her Uncle Peck, who groomed her. Common themes that thread throughout Vogel's work include the sexualization of children, the distortion of truth through the use of memory and fantasy, and the use of humor as a tool to tell difficult and taboo stories. These themes, as well as Vogel's life and career are investigated in this paper. A major influence and inspiration in Vogel's writing is Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita, which I analyze and compare to How I Learned to Drive along with Kate Elizabeth Russell's 2020 novel My Dark Vanessa, which also follows a woman's journey as she looks back at a relationship she had with a man who groomed her. This paper also examines How I Learned to Drive's influence as a survivor play and its continued relevance over 20 years after its first production. Finally, this paper documents the process of staging How I Learned to Drive as a senior directorial at William & Mary.
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2024-05-01
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Theatre, Speech & Dance