Wise, VA – The Pro-Art Association presents Alfred Uhry’s heart-warming 1988 Pulitzer Prize-winning play Driving Miss Daisy in conjunction with The Appalachian Center for the Arts. The production will park itself at the Gilliam Center for the Arts at UVA Wise for one night only: Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at 7:30 PM.
A treat for all audiences ages 10 to 110, Driving Miss Daisy is a moving story of friendship told with humor, warmth and beauty. This family comedy is set in Atlanta, Georgia from 1948 to 1973. Daisy Werthan, an independent, aging Jewish widow – disagreeable, and set in her ways – reluctantly surrenders the driver’s seat to Hoke Coleburn, a proud, soft-spoken black man. At first, Daisy’s stubbornness and cultural prejudices cause much friction, but over the course of 25 years, Hoke becomes not only her chauffeur, but against all odds, her best friend. The Washington Post called the play “[a story] marked with unaffected grace and generosity of spirit, medium-sized miracles and changed minds.”
Written by Alfred Uhry in 1987 as a tribute to his Atlanta-based family, the play went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Outer Critics Circle Award. A 1989 movie version starring Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, and Dan Aykroyd won four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Actress for Tandy.
Featured in this production are regional actors Debra Taylor as Daisy, Robert King Jr. as Hoke, and John Andrew Code as Boolie. Graduates of Wise County Schools may find the face of Miss Daisy familiar—Debra Taylor is a retired English teacher who coached VHSL theater and forensics for twenty years. The play is directed by Robin Irwin, with lighting designed by Michael McNulty, and props and costumes by Shannon Kirkpatrick Daniels. The Stage Manager for the production is Jesse Plourde.
The Appalachian Center for the Arts will perform Driving Miss Daisy on Tuesday, May 17th at 7:30 PM in the Gilliam Center for the Arts Black Box Theater on the campus of The University of Virginia’s College at Wise. Tickets are $15 at the door, and all students and Pro-Art season ticket holders are free to attend. In accordance with current UVA Wise masking guidelines, masks are optional for patrons in attendance.
The Appalachian Center for the Arts is a dynamic space for theater, music, visual arts, and community enrichment in downtown Pikeville, KY. The App’s mission is to create a thriving regional arts hub by championing, cultivating, and presenting the stories of our town, our region, and our world. For more information about the organization and to view a list of upcoming performances, please visit theapparts.org.
Pro-Art partners with a variety of venues, therefore individuals with mobility issues are encouraged to call or email the Pro-Art office to make arrangements for parking. For evolving conditions related to the global pandemic, inclement weather, or similar unforeseen circumstances, patrons are encouraged to visit proartva.org or call 276-376-4520 for up-to-date information.
Pro-Art’s mission is to promote the arts and expand accessibility to cultural experiences for residents and students in Wise, Lee, and Dickenson Counties and the City of Norton. For more information about our planned performances, please visit proartva.org. You can find the Pro-Art Association on social media @ProArtVA.
Pro-Art is supported in part by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Slemp Foundation, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, and Mountain Empire Community College. For more information about Pro-Art, please visit proartva.org, call the office at (276) 376-4520, or send an email to pro-art@uvawise.edu.
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