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Show — The Salt Lake Tribune ARTS Sunday, November1, 1998 ‘Drive’ Is Told Salt Lake Acting Company presents “How I Learned to Drive,” the provocative Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Paula Vogel,in its Upstairs Theatre, 168 W. 500 North. Previews are @ Continued from D-1 by herfather, Uncle Peck becomes the surrogate. There are no explicit, exploit- ative sex scenes in “How I Loarned to Drive,” which makes difficult material more bearable, Callahan says. Further, Vogel has loaded her ply with comicrelief. “Just when you think you are go- ing into the depths, she puts some — things Callahan . syi tes what saves it and send ably makes it 80 through it.” Ne can a ‘Getting’ a Morality Tale for Our Income-Obsessed Times @ Opens in Previews Wednesday From Survivor's Point of View = get In addition to the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama,“How I Learned to Drive" won the Drama Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Drama League Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award and the Lucille Lortel Award. SLAC producerandliterary manager Da- vid Mong says the play has been well-received everywhere it has been performed, “which has given us a certain amountof courage and encouragement.” But when it comes to sensitive sexual subject matter, Salt Lake City is unlike many other cities. “Tm sure there are going to be Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, LSofficial opening Saturday; the play continues through Dec. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays‘and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday showtimes are 2 and 7 p.m. Tike.are $14.50 to $18.50 for previews, $16.50 to $24.50 for through Capitol Theatre box office or by calling regul 355-ARTS. BY MICHAEL KUCHWARA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS “the greatest professional challenge of his career.” Of course, he says yes or we wouldn't have much ef a NEW YORK — Waitfor the TV movie. The tube seems the most appropriate venue for “Getting and Spending,” a slick, superficial morality tale for our income-obsessed times that somehow has found its way to Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theater. Playwright Michael J. Chepiga, who also is a cor- porate lawyer, yy pulled a gender switch 1 ed the Robin Hood saga, and added bit of religious His renegadeheroine, Victoria Phillips, earned a people who just won’t come when they find out what the subject mat- ter is,” Mong says. “There may be people who are upset with what they see. But a is an important subject to look at.’ To make it easier to look at, ‘SLAC was careful to cast an adult woman in therole of Li’! Bit. Theplay treats time fluidly, with Li'l Bit going from age 35 to age 11. With an a tayBh Caueiee Prepubescent Li'l Bit, Callahan says, the play avoids Damoaning her‘relationship with Uncle Peck —— who seems to be such a nice guy. learned just how easy it is to offend Utahns with sexual terial when she directed Tennesee Williams’“A a Named Deaire” at 's Egyptian Theatre. Yet she is notprota about “How I Learned to Drive.” “The wayit’s handled is as tasteful as it can be,” she says. “We cannotbe a city that shies away from b7 give audiences advance warning. considerable incomeas an investment banker. The governmentsays she took from therich, invested in the stock market and gaveto the poor.In this case, Lactgs Fate going to struction of affordable, low-income housing. Now this material. It should be offered.”” But Callahan and Mong want to "Part of our job at try to edueate we're doing. We're not trying to ipset peop! SLAC, which brings the satirical “Saturday's Voyeur” year to Utah audiences and presented “Angels in America” a few years back, is knows for dealing with controversial subjects and situa- the money, some$18 million, made possible the con- she is charged with insider trading. Hersalvation: a whizbang trial lawyer who hasleft the cutthroat world of high-stakes litigation to find a newlife in a monastery in Kentucky. The world-weary lawyeris on his way to becoming a monk. Victoria offers him what she says will be play. Yet how do you defend a client who admits her guilt — or keep audience interested for that matter — if the verdict is not in doubt. The lawyer does not try to argue guilt but to get the jury to look the other way. The end justifies the means. Theplaywrightintroduces a couple of snags along the way, noneof them all that dramatically compelling. It turns out Victoria kept some of the mlline she made in the marketfor herself. Whatgives this saga an auraof unreality are Che- piga’s ill-defined characters and flat dialogue. Victoria (played by Linda Purl) remains just as muchiof a mystery at the end of evening as when shefirst walked out on stage. The lawyer-turned-mopk, played by David Rasche, is equally opaque. The conversation rarely crackles whenit should — in the courtroom scenes, for example — and the playwrightsettles for wan, easy laughs e actors, including such veterans as Debra Maoney, Jack Gilpin and MacIntyre Dixon, carry on bravely. tions. There was the feeling in the company thatif SLAC did not pre- sent “How I Learned to Drive,” Utahns would not have a chance to see it. “If we stopped to think about who we're going to upset, we'd just be frozen and we'd just do safe things,” Mong says. “That's not whatthis place is about.” 5 FOR MAJOR SHOW/EXHIBIT] [FEFASECALLFORCONFIDENTIAL MORE INFORMATION: te,“DR. ‘oo.azz,$382 Hair Extensions, High Fashion Wigs and Jewelry UeEpa fe the Holidays Paree or see 2nd E. 328-9756 on Custom in-home decorating products “DANCING CRANES { PORTS.7 . eeNS Se Se i EMPORIUM OF WORLD customizes: one ar \ a. eel YY © PAPER MACHE ART MIRRORS © CANDLE HOLDERS = WALNUTWOOD \ BOXES » MOBILES » AND oe mS EVERYTHING IN THE STORE FROM THESE TWO BEAUTIFUL PLACES 20% OFF PLUS BRING N THIS AD AND WE WILL PAY THE SALES TAX! 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Moen rey ence ere 20 (©1996 Sears, Roebuck and Oo a WIND CHIMES « CLOTHING ¢ ETHNIC ART * DRUMS : ONLY IN :SUGARHOUSE 2144 South 1100 East © 486-1129 © Salt Lake City Mon-Fri llam-7pm ¢ Sat llam-6pm ¢ Sun Ipm-5pm d to atténd.our special Holiday‘98... ey NOVEMBER ie ~~ One Day ONty > prs Paula Vogel ; SEEN Nov 4 — Dec 13 Winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize “A tremendous achievement” Village Voice “Spellbinding and compelling” j = ect" New York Post « New York Daily News Fridays / Saturdays $25- 26.50 Thursdays / Sunday Matinees & Eves $17- 24.50 a | de see =n s emi |