Waking Miss Daisy

A Woke Play for Whitewashing Times

Conceived by James Craven — Written by James Craven & Kym Longhi
Directed by Kym Longhi — Developed with the company ensemble

Friday, March 6th - Saturday, March 14th, 2026
The Frey Theater at St. Catherine University

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — FEBRUARY 12, 2026 — Powerful institutions are trying to erase and whitewash the truth of our shared American story. Sanctioned instruments of violence and oppression are cruising the streets of our city, looking to harass and terrorize people based on the color of their skin. These behaviors and beliefs have a legacy. This is the time and place to wake up, to confront a history and culture we struggle to look in the face today — not because it is often masked; it is increasingly not masked at all.

Onto this scene comes Waking Miss Daisy, with the insightful vision of James Craven and the signature physicality of Kym Longhi’s direction. The world of Atlanta, Georgia in the mid 20th century comes to life in stark and unvarnished ways during this immersive multi-media staging.

Uhry's play Driving Miss Daisy was inspired by the experience of his family’s interactions with their Black driver, Willie Coleman. The play premiered in 1987, and the story became ubiquitous when his adaptation won an Oscar for Best Picture just two years later. To reimagine a Pulitzer-Prize winning play is a task reserved for those who have a very good reason.

Written from a white man's perspective, the characters are intended to be naive about the world around them — as many of us still are. Worse yet, the play itself is intentionally naive, a choice made by the playwright who is now a character in Waking Miss Daisy. And so the purpose of telling Hoke’s story is to wake up everyone to the truth. After reading the play, perhaps Talvin Wilks said it best:

[Waking Miss Daisy] is a cry to white folks to really take a look at the history that is being erased and the great injustice that lives in that simple act, the privilege of "not knowing."

—Talvin Wilks; Playwright, Director & Dramaturg

Content Advisory:
The play 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 is also made possible with the support of the Imagine Fund Annual Faculty Research Grants through the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota.

CAST
Hoke/Actor Hoke: Dominique Drake
The Playwright: Nick Miller
Miss Daisy: Barbra Berlovitz
Boolie: Erik Hoover
White Society: Michael DiPrima, Ariel Donahue, Renee Hatton, Lily Jones, Anna Pladson, Ben Qualley

CREATIVE TEAM
Conceived by: James Craven
Written by: James Craven & Kym Longhi
Direction: Kym Longhi
Stage Manager: Matthew Wilhelm
Costume Design: Matthew Wilhelm
Lighting Design: Jacqulin Stauder
Sound & Composer: Joni Griffith
Video & Projection: Jim Peitzman

TICKETS
General admission tickets are priced according to your means: $10, $20, $30, $40, $50. Tickets are available via the box office at 651-690-6700. Or at bit.ly/WakingMissDaisy

VENUE
The Frey Theater at St. Catherine University
2004 Randolph Ave, Saint Paul, 55105

PERFORMANCE DATES
Friday, March 6th, 7:30pm - Opening night
Saturday, March 7th, 7:30pm
Sunday, March 8th, 2:00pm - ASL Interpreted
Thursday, March 12th, 7:30pm
Friday, March 13th, 7:30pm
Saturday, March 14th, 7:30pm - Conversation with cast & crew follows performance.

Doors open 30 minutes before the show. Run time is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.

Download Press Kit

MEDIA CONTACT
Ross Phernetton, 612-419-6303
ross@phernetton.com
info@combustiblecompany.org

GENERAL INFO
combustiblecompany.org

FACEBOOK PAGE
facebook.com/people/Combustible-Company

ABOUT COMBUSTIBLE COMPANY
Combustible Company is a TwinCities-based theater company founded in 2013. The ensemble of actors use their physicality to create visceral performances that spark the imagination and ignite conversation. Combustible Company’s inaugural production, Herocycle, was named among the best shows of 2013 by City Pages and Lavender Magazine, the latter of which also listed the show’s actors (Erik Hoover and Jim Peitzman) among their Outstanding Performances of the Year. Their original work has been hailed by John Townsend as “an enthralling theatrical experience, unique and classical at the same time.

Waking Miss Daisy is Combustible Company’s eighth evening-length production.

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