Most disturbing of all is the reaction of Lil Bit’s family to the unfolding relationship between Uncle Peck and Lil’Bit. Butz pulled off a precarious and paradoxical balance of vulnerability and disturbing power. This empathy for Uncle Peck could not have been achieved were it not for Norbert Leo Butz’ tremendous performance in the role. The brilliance of this performance was that Uncle Peck was not vilified instead I could not help but empathize with Uncle Peck and wish him a happy ending. Although the inappropriate relationship seems unavoidable, I never stopped hoping for Lil’Bit’s sake that nothing serious would actually happen between her and Uncle Peck. That is not to say that Reaser’s performance seemed unreal, in fact, Reaser’s stock expressions emphasized Lil’ Bit’s inability to express her inner confliction and confusion.Īkin to Lil’ Bit, the audience is also conflicted. In her portrayal of Lil’ Bit, Elizabeth Reaser’s pouty, flirtatious facial expressions often seemed to be a facade. As Uncle Peck slowly and carefully seeks to seduce Lil’Bit, the tangible tension in the audience slowly builds to climax.
This sense of inevitability does not detract from the play’s suspense, however. It is immediately obvious that Lil’bit’s driving lessons with her middle-aged uncle “Peck” will devolve into something much more sinister and inappropriate. Vogel’s play is not really about driving a car. From the opening scene of Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize winning How I Learned to Drive, directed by Kate Whoriskey at the Second Stage Theatre, it becomes clear that Ms.
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