Driving Miss Daisy is a memory play. Set designer Angie Miller used old picture frames to adorn the neutral flats that made up the stage. The car was suggested with two simple benches, and other key furniture pieces were brought in for the living room and office scenes.
I wanted the costumes to aid in the journey between an adversarial relationship to life-long friendship between Daisy and Hoke. I began the design process by creating a color plot that tracked Daisy, Hoke, and Boolie through their developments in the play. Daisy and Hoke begin the play at either end of the color spectrum. Hoke is in a dark suit, and Daisy is in a yellow floral day dress. As the catalyst of their friendship, Boolie lives in the middle of the spectrum wearing browns and tans.
As the play and their relationship progresses they move toward each other on the color spectrum, Daisy's colors mellow as she ages, and Hokes soften also. The script spans nearly 25 years, so many costume changes (as well as makeup and hair changes) had to be made to invoke the change in time and age.In the final scene the characters and their costume's colors have grown very close to one another.
Here are some reviews:'Driving Miss Daisy' Gets a Tune Up at First Folio - Daily Herald
First Folio Switches Gears to Present Pulitzer Prize-Winning 'Driving Miss Daisy' - The Doings Hinsdale
'Driving Miss Daisy' Fulfills Satire, Sentiment - The Doings Hinsdale
'Driving Miss Daisy' - ChicagoCritic.com
I have been nominated for a Jeff Award for my Driving Miss Daisy costume design!
Photos thanks to David Rice.
