News release
Canyon Theatre Guild opens “Driving Miss Daisy,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, on Saturday. The opening performance will feature a free wine and champagne reception for ticket holders one hour before curtain.
“Driving Miss Daisy” explores the unlikely friendship between a rich, sharp-tongued Jewish widow of 72 (Daisy) and her African American chauffeur (Hoke) in the Deep South just prior to the start of the civil rights movement.
A thoughtful and quiet Black man, Hoke is immediately treated with disdain by Miss Daisy. Unimpressed by his employer’s patronizing tone and what he believes is her latent prejudice, the two nonetheless slowly start to learn each other’s truths and build a relationship that ends up lasting 25 years.
Despite their many differences, the two grow closer. Slowly and steadily, the dignified and good-natured Hoke breaks down the stern defenses of Daisy as she teaches him to read and write and, in a gesture of good will and shared concern, invites him to join her at a banquet in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
As the play ends, Hoke has a final visit with Miss Daisy, now 97 and confined to a nursing home. While it is evident that a glimmer of her fierce independence and sense of position still remain, it is also movingly clear that they have both grown to realize they have more in common than they ever believed possible – and that time and circumstance would ever allow them to publicly admit.
Director TimBen Boydston said in a news release: “This is an amazing cast. They will take you back in time and live 25 years in about 90 minutes. The Pulitzer Prize-winning script has comedy, drama and the triumph of light over darkness. You will not want to miss this show.”
“Driving Miss Daisy” runs from May 30 through June 28. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors (62+), and $15 for students. Not recommended for children. For showtimes or to reserve, call 661-799-2702 or visit canyontheatre.org/shows.
