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, show more 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. show less

Holy crap this is crazy good. It feels like a modern renedition of A View From The Bridge but it is told with the victim at the forefront of the story. A really powerful piece with some real cheeky lines and jokes. Definitely needs to be done over and over again. I love contemporary plays, even though this takes place in the 60s it feels like it could take place today, which is scary but moving

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 show more 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. show less

This is one of my favorite plays of all time. It's a perfect combination of humor and pathos. Using a driver's manual as a way to navigate life, Vogel creates a witty, smart extended metaphor that embodies Gardner's "vivid and unending dream" that we strive to find in good fiction. Read this for the unforgettable characters, the masterful dialogue, and the magic. One of the best.