See 'Em On Stage's DRIVING MISS DAISY to Open at The Fortress of Lushington

Driving Miss Daisy, produced by the Big Easy Award-winning company See 'Em On Stage, opens on Friday, March 13th at The Fortress of Lushington (2215 Burgundy Street, New Orleans, 70117). Written by Alfred Uhry, Driving Miss Daisy is the winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Play, and the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actress (Jessica Tandy).

Having recently demolished another car, Daisy Werthan, a rich, sharp-tongued Jewish widow of seventy-two, is informed by her son, Boolie, that henceforth she must rely on the services of a chauffeur. The person he hires for the job is a kind and thoughtful, unemployed black man, Hoke, whom Miss Daisy immediately regards with disdain and who, in turn, is not impressed with his employer's patronizing tone and her latent prejudice. But, in a series of scenes spanning twenty-five years, the two, despite their mutual differences, grow closer with and more dependent on each other. Slowly and steadily the dignified, good-natured Hoke breaks down the stern defenses of Miss Daisy. Over time, they both come to realize that they have more in common than they ever believed possible-and that times and circumstances would ever allow them to publicly admit.

Driving Miss Daisy stars award-winning actors Adelle Gautier and Michael Martin as Hoke and Miss Daisy. The role of Boolie is played by mikko. Christopher Bentivegna directs. Julie Wakefield is production stage manager. Robyn Nichols is working as carpenter/set construction.

Several years ago Gautier and Martin took part in a unique staged reading of the play (where they flipped the genders of the actors who usually play these roles) and after learning about it, director Bentivegna was intrigued. "Adelle and Michael are two seasoned, experienced, highly-acclaimed actors with amazing chemistry and so I felt tremendously inspired to create a full production of the show with the two of them returning to their roles from the staged reading."

The production will also feature New Orleans-based actor mikko in the role of Boolie. "What I admire in this play is it's a simple story with an intricate tightness where the scenes flow into one another but it doesn't feel episodic. It gently evolves as we watch three people adapt their attitudes while the world around them keeps shifting.", said mikko.

""I love to play challenging roles and to inhabit a character that is so different than you because you get to create a whole new persona.", said Gautier. Martin added, "Both Hoke and Daisy are restricted by the expectations of their time. My interest in playing Daisy, besides just loving the play and both of the lead characters, is to push gender and racial expectations to the fore. Also, it's just interesting as cross-gender casting is usually reserved for comedies."

The production runs from March 13-30 at The Fortress of Lushington (2215 Burgundy Street, NOLA, 70117) Performance dates are March 13, 14, 20, 21, 23, 27, 28, and 30 at 8pm.

Purchase tickets at seosaproductioncompany.com or at our.show/drivingmissdaisynola