More Readings of Vogel’s ‘How I Learned to Drive’

I was dismayed that someone could misread Paula Vogel’s play as completely as Rebecca Baldwin (“Impressive Awards Aside, ‘How I Learned’ Celebrates Pedophilia,” March 29). Then I realized that she works in motion picture development. She’s probably not used to subtle or intelligent writing that expects its audience to think.

This rich, resonant play refuses to exploit a potentially exploitative subject, nor does it pander in a typically “movie of the week” fashion. Vogel respects the audience enough to assume we already know child molestation is a horrible thing, and then goes on to ask, “What else might we learn from this situation, and what isn’t being talked about?”

It is also a hopeful play. In the final scene, the main character smiles at the memory of her uncle in the rearview mirror, indicating that she has dealt with her past. Rather than let it ruin her life, she is ready to move on with her life. Vogel’s play is not a celebration of pedophilia, but rather a celebration of our ability to forgive, and our ability to survive. It is a celebration of humanity.

RAUL STAGGS

Van Nuys

*

Kudos to Rebecca Baldwin for her review of the production “How I Learned to Drive” at the Mark Taper Forum. Despite the many awards for “How I Learned to Drive,” I believe there comes a time when we have to stand up and be counted. My son holds a doctorate from UCLA in social work and spends his days with clients who are the victims of child sexual abuse. My contempt for director Mark Brokaw knows no bounds. His facile attempts to dismiss pedophilia as a “love story” brings one thought to mind: Let’s ask these victims struggling to regain a semblance of their lives what they think.

ALICE LILES

Pomona

*

When I read “I think it’s fair to remind Mr. Brokaw . . . that societal experience has shown us that pedophiles ruin lives,” I immediately thought: Well, so do O’Neill’s alcoholics, Shakespeare’s kings and Kushner’s closeted Roy Cohn. This is why these are topics for great drama, yes? And some characters recover, some heal, and some don’t. And some write plays, like Paula Vogel.

HANK ROSENFELD

Santa Monica

*

“How I Learned to Drive” was a nauseating experience. As a Mark Taper subscriber to new and “experimental” plays, the audience is provided a myriad of dramatic and humorous commentary by playwrights. But this play’s theme was repulsively revolting. Baldwin’s review was on target in its entirety.

G.B. LOGANBILL

Long Beach

*

The pedophile and the victim did share something, and that will never change, no matter how abhorrent we as an audience find it. Peck will always be in that car with Li’l Bit, no matter how much she tries to deny it. The author has given us a premise: humans hurt us; humans betray us; humans disappoint us; and as they do, they immutably become a part of our past, and their actions leave us with two options: become stronger or be destroyed. I find Ms. Vogel’s play an elegant defense of choosing the former option. The idea may be old, but its beauty persists.

ANTHONY YOUNG

Santa Monica