In 1997, David Morse and Mary-Louise Parker won acclaim and Off-Broadway Awards for Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “How I Learned to Drive.”
Twenty-five years later, Morse and Parker replayed their role on Broadway. He served as an attractive pedophile, Uncle Peck. She won the Tony Award nomination as Lilbit, his predatory niece.
The new piece was first investigated 10 years after its first run, but Morse hadn’t returned to stage yet and didn’t want his last play to be the next. And although the timing seemed right when he attended the show two years ago, he was on Broadway’s “The Seafarer” and “The Iceman Cometh,” but he was still afraid of the shock. At the same time, I hurt my intestines. , Original for both the audience and the cast.
He was particularly worried about Uncle Peck.
“He thought he had no chance in this new world,” Morse said. “Pola tried to make him a compelling and easy-to-understand person, no matter what he was doing. I was afraid to judge him. Paula wanted people to do it. It will be difficult to make such a leap. “
Morse didn’t have to worry in a zoom interview from his Midtown apartment. He lives in Philadelphia when he is not working. He discusses his daily dedication, his cooking, and why new RVs are essential to his life.
“This play has the usual power, and our age has actually helped in several ways,” he said. “There are layers that I didn’t have before, but I think it really comes with living life.”
Here is an edited excerpt from the conversation.
1. Reading aloud Every time I read a book, I read it out loud from start to finish. I will play all the characters and be in their world. I discovered this joy when I was 9 or 10 years old. I finished reading “Old Yellow Dog” in my bedroom on Saturday morning. I lay down on the bed and cried with a pain in my heart. I had to share the book with my family. So we sat around the dining room table and read the end of “Old Yeller” to them, crying again.
2. His faith I was confirmed at a teenage Anglican. But when I first came to New York in 1977, I was in great conflict with faith and the church. My consciousness was changing and I was furious at the facility. It was then that I read “Surprised by Joy” by CS Lewis. His story about the fight against his own faith has helped me, especially over his turbulent times. Sometime in those years, I learned from the Book of Common Prayer the daily dedication for the morning and the end of the day. Since then, I have hardly missed a day to say both services privately.
3. Bluegrass and country I made a great movie called “The Slaughter Rule”. My character was an old bluegrass and country lover.I had to Play and sing, And every time I opened my mouth, I felt like such a fake. It wasn’t a brilliant moment for me, but I’ve loved it ever since.
At that time, we were listening to The Louvin Brothers. Their story is fascinating. Now there are women I want to hear and people with crossovers like Brandi Carlile. And Sturgill Simpson is another person I love. Because he is a kind of anti-country and at the same time a country. He really, really loves the roots of bluegrass, but he uses it to do his own thing.
4. “Cocaine and Rhinestones” Podcast People who really know music and who talk to people who really know music are fascinating to me.One of my favorites “Cocaine and rhinestones” Written by Tyler Mahan Ko. An epic piece depicting the history of country music. If I had him listen to his work before doing the music of “The Slaughter Rule”, I think I would have taken a little more courage to approach it.
5. Cooking for health I had considerable food allergies in most of my life. Forget the craft table in the set. Most restaurants offer food that is so rustic and boring that it is difficult to swallow when they try to help. So I prepare almost every meal every day. I developed my own recipe for wheat-free pancakes and created a weekly batch. I could carry it anywhere so I could get enough calories while working or traveling. I’ve done it for at least 25 years.
6. Road trip for work When I get a new job, I love to drive to distant places myself. It’s a great way to transition my mind. Two years ago, when it was time to do “how to drive,” I traveled to South Carolina, the character’s hometown. I went to the river where he went fishing, went to court, listened to the trial and tried to absorb the world as much as possible. And it started to feel new. Then it shut down during the rehearsal. But after it started again, I just opened, opened, and made another trip to be open to everything that came.
7. His Mercedes Sprinter RV I always wanted to share the place I saw with my wife Susan [Wheeler Duff], And for our three kids, food and hotels have been too many challenges for us to do it together — up to the last year. Susan cleverly suggested moving the RV. Therefore, I bought an extension car during the pandemic. Mercedes sprinter We lined up in a long line of like-minded people in a van and had a camper customize it near Boulder, Colorado. In September, I met my new best friend and traveled all over the country with a king-sized bed. I haven’t used the full kitchen and toilet yet. It was great.
8. Audiobook Listening to “Moby-Dick”, it’s amazing how much you can cover in this country. Now, while I’m exercising, I’m hearing Frank McCourt reading “Angela’s Ashes.” His writing seems to be very pure and easy, as is his excellent reading. I was asked to record a lot of very good books.Two of my favorites are Stephen King “Revival” And Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Leadership: In a turbulent era.” I love doing it. It suits me.
9. Accent When you need to work on a new character with an accent, choose a book that reads out loud. I don’t really like practicing accents with lines.The first time I did “how to drive” [Michael Shaara’s] “Killer Angel.” I didn’t tell Mary-Louise Parker this, but this time I chose the wonderful book “Dear Mr. You” she wrote. She shouldn’t tell her that I told you.
10. His wife, Susan Wheeler Duff My wife is an excellent writer of two books and many articles, a greedy and enthusiastic reader, a ferocious and devoted mother of our children, an excellent actress, the rise and prominence in the world of bridges. Being, and many things including my love and companions for the last 41 years. In fact, we got married on June 19, 1982, 40 years ago. A day with Susan is culturally essential.
