Waking Miss Daisy
March 6-14
The Frey Theater at St. Catherine University
Conceived by James Craven
Written by James Craven & Kym Longhi
Directed & Produced by Kym Longhi
Developed with the ensemble and the dramaturgy class of Talvin Wilks“This is a play that is especially important for White people to see, because Black people don’t need to be reminded of the racist history (and present) of this country. It’s startling, and disturbing, and eye-opening.
We can no longer pretend that we don’t know what’s happening, which this play (and everything that has happened in Minnesota this year) reminds us.”
Cast
Barbra Berlovitz — Miss Daisy, a new interpretation
Dominique Drake — Hoke, and the actor who plays him
Erik Hoover — Boolie, a new interpretation of Miss Daisy’s son
Nick Miller — The Playwright, a new fictional rendering
The Ensemble of Michael DiPrima, Ariel Donahue, Joni Griffith, Renee Howard Hatton, Erik Hoover, Lillian Jones, Anna Pladson and Ben Qualley — depicting White Society and historical figures, both fictional and nonfictional
Creative Team
Matthew Wilhelm — Stage Managing & Costume Design
Jim Peitzman — Video Design
Joni Griffith — Music and Sound
Jacqulin Stauder — Lighting Design
Bruce Silcox — Photography
Thank you for your support of this production:
Talvin Wilks
The University of Minnesota Department of Theatre Arts & Dance
Theatre in the Round Players
St. Croix Festival Theatre
Center for Performing Arts
Everyone at The Frey Theater at St. Catherine University
This is the reimagined Alfred Uhry play from chauffeur Hoke’s point of view. An immersive multi-media staging brought to life the world of Atlanta, Georgia in the mid 20th century.
Uhry's play was inspired by the actual experiences of his family and their interactions with their Black driver, Willie Coleman. The play has enjoyed enormous success, but it fails to tell the complete story.
Written from a white man's perspective, it’s at best a misguided and naive understanding of the complicated dynamics of race relations. At worst, it erases the experience of its black character.
Miss Daisy calls Hoke her friend, but can they be friends if she fails to see his life for what it really is? Waking Miss Daisy reminds us that racism affects all of us, with a performance the audience will never forget.
Read the review: Talkin’ Broadway »
Read the review: Cherry and Spoon »
Content Advisory: The play and images from it contains offensive racial slurs, references to sexual assault and depictions of racialized violence, including lynching.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
This project was made possible with the support of the Imagine Fund Annual Faculty Research Grants through the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota.
