Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (MCT) offers Ruth Schudson, an actress who has given so much to theater in Milwaukee over the years, a much-deserved opportunity to shine in its upcoming production. MCT continues its season next week with Driving Miss Daisy, a critically acclaimed three-person drama.
Schudson plays a Southern woman no longer able to drive. Her son, played by fellow Milwaukee theater icon Jonathan West, hires her a driver, an African-American man played by Chicago-based actor Michael A. Torrey. The plot plays out in smaller moments over the course of many years, as Miss Daisy advances in age from 72 to 97. Schudson, right in that age range in real life, is perfect for the role.
The play deals with race relationships in America through character-driven interpersonal drama. Instead of MCT's more intimate Studio Theatre, the place you might expect a play like this to be staged, Driving Miss Daisy will be presented in the Cabot Theatre. Fortunately, an experienced actress with the kind of talent that Schudson has developed over the years should have no trouble gracefully filling this space with deeply affecting drama. Schudson has performed numerous times at the Cabot, so she is familiar with the space. And there's no question that Schudson deserves the center of that stage.
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production of Driving Miss Daisy runs Oct. 13-30 at the Broadway Theatre Center's Cabot Theatre. For ticket reservations, call 414-291-7800.
Theater Happenings
- Theatrical Tendencies opens its two-show season this week with a production of the Douglas Carter Beane farce The Little Dog Laughed. A Hollywood agent tries to deal with her client's “slight recurring case of homosexuality” in this staging featuring a young, fresh cast. The shows runs Oct. 7-22 at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center. For ticket reservations, call 414-755-2700.
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- Next week sees Green Bay football return to Milwaukee, as Lee Ernst stars as the team's iconic head coach in the Milwaukee Rep's Lombardi. The show runs Oct. 11-Nov. 13 at the Quadracci Powerhouse. For ticket reservations, call 414-224-9490.
