TRIP: How I Learned To Drive | Theatre Information

This is a story of a woman who learns the rules of the road and life from behind the wheel: ten years after leaving her childhood home in rural Maryland, Li'l Bit is back and ready to confront the traumas of her past. But how can she begin to heal?

Winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, How I Learned to Drive follows the story of Li'l Bit, who was sexually abused by her Uncle Peck since she was 11 years old, while in the driver’s seat of a Ford Mustang with her uncle as her driving instructor. Her schoolmates and family were none the wiser—how could friendly neighbourhood Uncle Peck be capable of such a heinous crime?

Now, at age 30, Li'l Bit is finally ready to heal—in order to do that, she must revisit some of the key moments in her adolescence that have shaped and changed her, for better and for worse. These moments involve not just Uncle Peck, but also the people around her: schoolmates who bullied and sexualised her for her larger-than-average chest, her aunt, who blamed Li'l Bit for stealing her husband, and the waiter who stood by as Uncle Peck manipulated Li'l Bit to drink while underage.

Wildly funny, surprising and ultimately devastating, How I Learned to Drive navigates the minefields of trauma, healing, survival and stolen childhood. It asks not just what happens to victims of abuse—but how society can be complicit in its occurrence.

Director | Renee Yeong

Playwright | Paula Vogel

Cast | Masturah Oli, Andrew Lua, Vester Ng, Tan Rui Shan, Arielle Jasmine Van Zuijlen

Set Designer | Petrina Dawn Tan

Set Assistant | M.Nurfadhli Jasmi

Sound Designer | Guo Ningru

Lighting Designer | James Tan

Costume Designer | Max Tan

Production Manager | Evelyn Chia (The Backstage Affair)

Production Coordinator | Wann Nurul Asyiqin (The Backstage Affair)

Stage Manager | Celestine Wong (The Backstage Affair)

Assistant Stage Manager | Georgia Sim (The Backstage Affair)

Show Details

• How I Learned To Drive
• Date & Time: 19 Apr 2024, Fri, 8pm | 20 Apr 2024, Sat, 3pm & 8pm | 21 Apr 2024, Sun, 3pm
• Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio
• Address: 1 Esplanade Dr, Singapore 038981

Ticketing Information

• Tickets available on Esplanade
• Price: Standard - $32 / Students, NSFs, Seniors & PWDs (Limited) - $24
• R18. Contains references to sexual assault and grooming of minors
• Admission Age: 18 and above
• Language: English

Information Source: Esplanade