Walnut Street Theatre (WST) is proud to present the heartwarming and thought-provoking classic story “Driving Miss Daisy” as part of their 216th season. The show begins previews on Jan. 7, opens Jan. 15, and runs through Feb. 2.
Walnut Street Theatre’s “Driving Miss Daisy” features Johnnie Hobbs Jr and Wendy Scharfman. Photo by Ashley Smith, Wide Eyed Studios.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, “Driving Miss Daisy” is about the transformative power of friendship. Miss Daisy is an elderly Jewish widow who is struggling to come to terms with her diminishing independence. After a car crash, her son convinces her to take on a chauffeur and hires an African American driver named Hoke. Set in Atlanta from the late 1940s to early 1970s, the relationship between Miss Daisy and Hoke changes from one of employer and employee to a deep friendship, as they encounter issues of growing old, race and class in an America fighting for equal civil rights.
Written by Alfred Uhry, the show won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was the first in Uhry’s Atlanta Trilogy. It premiered off-Broadway in 1987 and was later staged on Broadway in 2010. The play inspired a screen adaptation starring Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Directing this production is Walnut Street Theatre Producing Artistic Director Bernard Havard. He has spent his life in theatre as an actor, stage manager, director, managing director and producer. Under his leadership, the Walnut became a not-for-profit, self-producing theatre, and has gained international recognition as one of America’s premier regional theatres.
The show also features an outstanding cast of Walnut favorites. Wendy Scharfman portrays the titular Miss Daisy, a fiercely independent and sharp-witted Jewish widow grappling with aging and her own prejudices. Johnnie Hobbs Jr. takes on the role of Hoke, a patient and wise African American chauffeur who brings warmth and resilience to his evolving friendship with Miss Daisy. Rounding out this talented cast is Scott Greer s Boolie, Daisy’s pragmatic and good-hearted son, who juggles his mother’s stubbornness with his desire to do what’s best for her and often serving as the bridge between Daisy and Hoke.
If You Go:
Previews begin Jan. 7, 2025 and the show runs through Feb. 2, 2025.
Open captioning will be available for the Sunday, Jan. 19, 7 pm performance.
For tickets and information, visit WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.com or call 215-574-3550.