Star Tribune - Recommended

"...Treat yourself to the Jungle Theater’s “Driving Miss Daisy.” Do it in spite of the fact that Alfred Uhry’s 1987 script, made famous in the Oscar-winning 1989 movie starring Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman, is a somewhat dated chestnut with a predictable story arc."
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Twin Cities Pioneer Press - Recommended

"... Print   Email   Theater review: 'Driving Miss Daisy' is a small story, with a big heart By Renee Valois Special to the Pioneer Press POSTED:   11/09/2013 12:01:00 AM CST UPDATED:   11/10/2013 12:54:09 PM CST Daisy Werthen is played by Wendy Lehr and Hoke Colburn is played by James Craven in "Driving Miss Daisy" at The Jungle Theater in Minneapolis. (Courtesy photo: Michal Daniel) RELATED STORIES Nov 10: 'Rancho Mirage' review: Great cast can't round rough edges 'Arabella' review: Minnesota Opera gets the mix just right Nov 6: Review: Jazz pianist Marcus Roberts brings virtuosity to the Dakota There's a deep sense of character and intimacy in Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Driving Miss Daisy," which was inspired by the playwright's own grandmother and her chauffeur. Setting the evolving relationship of this odd couple of an elderly white widow and her black chauffeur across 25 years in America funnels society's large changes into a personal and poignant story. To pull it off, you need wonderful actors and a sensitive hand, and Bain Boehlke, the Jungle Theater's Artistic Director, has that. There's potential for plenty of humor in the blunt comments of the irascible Southern Jewish lady, Daisy Werthan, but to make the show a success, she also has to come across as sympathetic and not fall into mere caricature. Boehlke's choice of actress Wendy Lehr is spot-on; she makes Daisy very real indeed. Her opinionated and flustered demeanor is well balanced by the gravitas and grace of James Craven's chauffeur, Hoke Coleburn. Daisy's son Boolie brings her and Hoke together after an accident totals Daisy's car, ending her driving days. Charles Fraser makes Boolie a likable and practical man who cares about the mother who often drives him crazy. Daisy doesn't want anyone to drive her around, and she doesn't want anyone to think she's rich either, although she clearly has money. Hoke's patience is the antidote to her stubborn comments and refusals. We expect him to gradually earn her respect and affection, so it's no surprise -- but still satisfying -- when he does (albeit in fits and starts, which fits the characters and aids the drama). There is plenty of laughter in Daisy and Hoke's story. But bits of darkness punctuate it -- including Hoke's memory of a lynching and the bombing of a Jewish temple. We see how attitudes about race and religion shift over time, even as time becomes the enemy of the aging pair. Hope shines in the rise of Martin Luther King Jr. and in the faithfulness of friendship over the years. Wendy Lehr and James Craven in "Driving Miss Daisy" at The Jungle Theater in Minneapolis. (Courtesy photo: Drew Trampe) Director Boehlke also designed the set, which easily takes us from Daisy's home to Boolie's office and everywhere the chairs in the invisible car need to go -- with scenic projections on the back wall and sound effects to aid the imagination. This is a small show, but it has a big heart. Boehlke taps the tenderness and comedy of the story with a strong trio of actors that convey character with finesse and age convincingly. They make it worth driving over to see "Daisy.""
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How Was The Show - Recommended

"...The play often frustrates.  It’s 2013, and better playwrights (one thinks immediately of August Wilson) have handled the era more intelligently and more effectively.  But as a portrait of an odd and sweet love, one that builds and grows with quiet certitude, Driving Miss Daisy is unequaled."
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