e-Interview #3 with the Cast of "How I Learned to Drive"

For our third cast interview, let's hear from Kate Morris, who plays "Lil’ Bit" in How I Learned to Drive:

Q: Why did you want to be part of How I Learned to Drive?

Kate: I seem to be the only person on Earth who had never heard of this play until recently. When I heard that Curtains Up Players (CUP) was producing it, I got the script and read it, and it really affected me. I knew that I wanted to be part of it in some way. For sure, it is about a woman who survives childhood trauma, and some people could see that as off-putting. But at its core, it’s about so much more than that. It is a story of family, love, strength, and survival. And you don’t have to have experienced something as extreme as Lil’ Bit to connect to her story. I think all of us can relate to having a crazy family that may not have supported us in the way we wanted. Most of us have probably been in a less-than-healthy relationship. And I think just about everyone has had some kind of difficult time to go through; when we’ve had to dig deep and decide if we were going to let our life experiences swallow us up or make us stronger. What is inspiring about this story is that it is about person who has had a tough life. She could’ve thrown in the towel, and let life beat her, but instead she learns, moves on, and shares her story in order to inspire others. We don’t always see female characters like Lil Bit on the stage. She is certainly not perfect, but she is definitely strong, and people with that kind of strength are incredibly interesting to me.

Q: What's the most challenging thing about being in this play?

Kate: Everything that is challenging about this play is also what makes working on it a joy. This story is told in a non-linear way, so Lil Bit moves between ages throughout the story. She starts the story as an adult, and jumps in time between different ages from 17 to 13 to 27 to 11 years old. So, the first challenge was to figure out why the author, Paula Vogel, chose to tell it this way. And I’ve realized that, though it may seem strange at first, this is a very natural way to tell the story of our memories. When we tell the story of our lives, we rarely start at the “beginning” and go through to the end. We often get sidetracked and feel like we have to go back and explain things that happen before or after.

The second challenge for me was not to judge these characters from my personal perspective as we were exploring them. By having to play a 13-year-old, a 17-year-old, etc., the author has challenged me to get in touch with that part of myself that is trusting, naive, and easily manipulated, and to put aside the adult part of me that would jump in and judge and interfere with what these characters are doing. I have never worked on a play where I felt like the playwright was more present in the room without actually being there. Her characters often do things that are unexpected, or react in ways that are opposite to what I, personally, would do or expect. So, as we are going through the rehearsal process we are really delving into human emotions and what makes us, as humans, do what we do. There have been times in rehearsals when we would be discussing a scene at length, then there would be a few moments of silence, and one of us would say, “Wow, this is an amazing script.”

Q: Tell us a bit about your fellow cast members.

Kate: Well, three out of the five actors in this show are related to me, which doesn’t happen very often. Having the opportunity to work with my step-daughter, Olivia, for the first time has been a joy. As a family, we have really been able to get into some of the nitty gritty of the script because we have extra time to discuss it while we’re making dinner or over coffee or while walking the dogs. And what we have realized through discussing the play, is that this play is all about family; how sometimes they misguide us, but usually they are doing their best with what they have learned from their lives, and ultimately they are the most important part of our life. It’s a good lesson to be reminded of.

Q: Why would you recommend this show to our readers?

Kate: This story is about real life. And real life isn’t always neat and pretty. It’s about the human journey from pain and brokenness to healing. It’s about forgiving the past and not letting it control the future. These are not new themes in plays or literature, but it never hurts for us to be reminded of them. In How I Learned to Drive, Paula Vogel asks the actors and the audience to allow themselves to be uncomfortable with the circumstances of the play; because sometimes we have to go to some deep dark places before true growth and healing begins. I am confident that the audience that goes on this journey with us will leave with smiles on their faces and a good feeling about the human will to survive.

Q: When and where will the show be staged?

Kate: It'll be at the Jeslyn Performing Arts Center on 4th Avenue in downtown Huntington, March 8-10 at 8 p.m. and March 11 at 2:30 p.m.

Thanks, Kate!