I think Vogel used the “Greek Chorus” in How I Learned to Drive because this is Lil’ Bit’s story, and it’s
the story of her and Uncle Peck. The other characters are non-essential. The
play is like Lil’ Bit’s memory in which she is choosing to remember the things
that were important to her. By having the other characters being played by the
Greek Chorus, Vogel is showing how those characters appearances and opinions
don’t really matter to Lil’ Bit or to the story.
Vogel uses a Voice throughout the play to say things that sound like driving
instructions. I can understand how the instructions relate to the story but I find
it curious that she chooses to do it through a “Voice”. She could have just had
the Greek Chorus or Lil’ Bit do it. She could have even had Uncle Peck do it
but she didn’t. I can’t think of why. Well I have ideas but they are disjointed
at best.
Geez, if Uncle Peck delivered those lines, the play would have been substantially creepier. I feel like that “driver’s ed” narration is used to make the whole story seem less frightening and terrible—it sets the audience at ease, in a way. You can show me the most terrible car crash in history, but if you play it with that kind of cheesy narration (“Safety First—You and Driver Education”), I’m going to laugh. However, if you give Uncle Peck those lines, well, it’s about as funny as your driver’s ed instructor speaking to you that way—if he were also your rapist. It also would imply that Peck is leading Li’l Bit through her memories (“You and the Reverse Gear”), which probably wouldn’t work because, well, that guy’s dead and gone.
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