Palm Beach Dramaworks Steers Driving Miss Daisy With Grace, Heart And Humanity.

February 8th, 2026

Palm Beach Dramaworks presents its production of Alfred Uhry’s Driving Miss Daisy with a confidence that reminds us why this Pulitzer Prize-winning play has endured for nearly four decades. Sweet and sentimental? Perhaps. But under the direction of Julianne Boyd, this Daisy reveals its deeper power as a quietly resonant meditation on aging, loneliness, prejudice, and the beauty of human connection.

Set in Atlanta and spanning 25 years, Driving Miss Daisy traces the evolving relationship between Daisy Werthan, a fiercely independent Jewish widow, and Hoke Coleburn, the Black chauffeur hired by her pragmatic son, Boolie. What begins in 1948 as a battle of wills slowly transforms into an intimate bond shaped by shared routines, mutual dependence, and, ultimately, respect. In an era still grappling with division and distrust, Uhry’s play feels not dated but newly urgent, an intimate reminder that empathy is built one conversation at a time.

Debra Jo Rupp, making her Palm Beach Dramaworks debut, brings her well-honed comic instincts to Daisy, deftly landing the character’s prickly humor and stubborn charm. While her Daisy initially feels too spry, and she is occasionally uneven in her Southern dialect, Rupp grows more and more immersed in the role as the character ages. Her finest work comes in the latter scenes, when Daisy’s sharp edges soften and her mental acuity begins to slip.

Matthew W. Korinko portrays Daisy’s son Boolie with warmth and likability, though he too struggles with maintaining his Southern dialect. He offers a sympathetic portrait of a man navigating generational change and emotional responsibility. Disappointingly, while the other two actors age their characters over the 25 years depicted, Korinko neglects to do the same with his own character.

Ray Anthony Thomas is the emotional anchor of this production as Hoke. His performance is a beautifully calibrated study in subtlety and strength, imbued with dignity, patience, and pride. Thomas understands Hoke as a man shaped by the constraints of his time, yet deeply aware of his own worth. Each pause, each measured response carries weight, and the cumulative effect is memorable and moving.

The production’s design elements support the storytelling with elegance and restraint. Bert Scott’s scenic design provides a fluid, unobtrusive framework that allows the decades to pass seamlessly. Brian O’Keefe’s costumes subtly chart the characters’ aging and shifting circumstances, while John Wolf’s lighting and Alexander Sovronsky’s sound design quietly underscore the emotional rhythms of the play. Tim Brown’s projections further enhance the sense of time and place without ever distracting from the performances at the center.

Ultimately, this Driving Miss Daisy succeeds not through grand gestures but through its attention to the small moments, the shared laugh, the unspoken understanding, the silence that speaks volumes. Palm Beach Dramaworks once again demonstrates its mastery of intimate, character-driven storytelling, offering a production that is thoughtful, humane, and deeply relevant.

If you haven’t yet seen this production, do make room for it in your schedule. Like the friendship at its heart, Driving Miss Daisy unfolds gently and lingers quietly and steadfastly.

The Don & Ann Brown Theatre is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach at 201 Clematis Street. Tickets for all performances are $95, except for opening night of each production ($115) and previews ($75). Student tickets are available for $15 with a valid K-12 or university/college ID, and anyone under 40 pays $40 (no additional fees) with a photo ID. Tickets for educators and active military are half price with proper ID (other restrictions apply). Group rates are also available.

Tickets can be purchased through the box office, in person or by phone (561-514-4042 ext. 2), and online 24 hours a day at the official website:
https://palmbeachdramaworks.org