By Mark Ambrogi
Larry Adams and his mother, Jean, have been in several productions together, but will achieve a first in “Driving Miss Daisy.”
For the first time, art will imitate life as they play mother and son in Carmel Community Players production set for Aug. 11 through Aug. 27 at Carmel Community Playhouse, 14299 Clay Terrace, Blvd., Suite 140, Carmel.
“He’s been my son-in-law and he’s been a villain,” Jean said.
Larry chimed in, “I’ve tried to kill her in a couple of shows,” he said.
Jean started acting in 1986 and her son started two years later.
“I hadn’t done anything until I saw her doing community theater,” Larry said. “It looked like a lot of fun, so I started doing it.”
Jean, an Indianapolis resident, plays Daisy and Larry, who lives near Pittsboro, plays Boolie.
“I wouldn’t quite talk to him the way that Daisy talks to Boolie,” Jean said.
Jean said there a few roles for her as she gets older.
“Playwrights like old men, they don’t like old women,” Jean said.
Bradley Lowe, Indianapolis, plays Hoke, a middle-aged African-American chauffeur of Daisy, a wealthy Jewish woman in Atlanta. The play starts in 1948 and examines how their relationship over 25 years.
“The friendship and understanding they have by the end of the play is just beautiful,” Lowe said.
The biggest challenge Lowe, 29, said he faces in honing into portraying an older character.
Lowe said this was bucket list show for him.
“As soon as I heard they were doing this, I wanted to do it,” Lowe said.
Director Doug Davis had the same attraction to the play.
“It’s not been done in awhile and it was on my bucket list of shows I wanted to direct one day,” Davis said. “It’s one of those classic plays that many people saw a movie first with Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman.”
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. For more, visit carmelplayers.org.
