Q&A with Lynn Berg ('Uncle Peck') in HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE

TIC Theater is thrilled to produce a 3-week run this fall of How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel, running Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.).  Tickets are $18 online and 212-868-4444.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this play follows precocious Li'l Bit's formative teenage years in rural Maryland in the 1960s.  Only her Uncle Peck seems to get her, and shows her the ways of the world.

We sat down with actor Lynn Berg* ('Uncle Peck') to talk cars, drinks and the 60s.

What's your favorite line from the show?

Merlin Berg's '55 Bel Air.

Uncle Peck says, "Of course, my favorite car will always be the '56 Bel Air Sports Coupe.  Chevy sold more '55's, but the '56!"

The first car I owed was a '55 Chevy Bel Air.  My dad is a well-known car customizer and he bought me a rusty, two-toned green '55.  We restored it together and it was sweet!  I loved that car, and now, years later, I regret selling it.  Oh, well.  My pop has a '55 that he's had since before I was born.  And over the years, it's gone through several stages of customizing and colors. 

A lot of people, including me and my pop, say the '55 is the real gem of the Bel Airs.  I think Peck loves the '56 partly because of his affinity for the underdog.

Who do you think is Peck's favorite pop icon of the 1960's?
Peck's favorite character from the 60's, and really starting in the 50's would be James Bond.  Peck loves new gadgets, drinks and women.  And he likes to think of himself as a classy playboy.  He would envy Bond's above-the-law status and secret agent life.  Peck would live vicariously through James Bond's adventures, like readers and audiences have for over 50 years.

If Peck were entertaining, what drink might he fix?
The drink Peck would offer to mix lady guests visiting his den would be a Harpoon.  It is a precursor to the Cosmopolitan and we would learn to mix it from Playboy's Bar Guide by Thomas Mario (not Hugh Hefner).

Check Lynn out as 'Uncle Peck' this fall at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios.

TIC is thrilled to have sold out its last 2 seasons of plays, so please do buy your ticket in advance.  http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27

For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater

*Appears courtesy of the Actors Equity Association.  How I Learned to Drive is an Actors Equity-approved showcase.

First Read Through for 'How I Learned to Drive'

Theater people have loads of superstitions. For Tongue in Cheek Theater, we always wait until after a successful first read-through before we send our postcards to print... and I'm thrilled to report, after a fabulous first read of How I Learned to Drive, our postcard proof was just sent to the printers.

Six actors in search of a crazy family in this dark comedy.

Earlier today, in the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, our cast and crew gathered and read through the entire show in 76 minutes.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Paula Vogel follows a dysfunctional Maryland family in the 1960s.

Happily for the cast, we all got along famously, jokes landed, and the Greek Chorus sang an impromptu arrangement of 'Blue Moon.' Seeing how many of the characters have a tendency to hit the bottle, we felt it fitting to adjourn for a nearby beer at the Tongue in Cheek-designated bar, Valhalla.

We coordinated our tops.  We're off to a mime convention after this.

The cast is comprised of Lynn Berg* (Uncle Peck), Jake Lipman* (Li'l Bit), Michael Edmund (Big Papa/Male Greek Chorus), Joan D. Saunders (Grandma/Female Greek Chorus 1), Shelley Little (Mother/Female Greek Chorus 2) and Holland Hamilton (Aunt Mary/Female Greek Chorus 3).  Rounding out the talented folks making this fall happen is our assistant director Allison Lemel.

If you're superstitious like we are, and if TIC production history is any indication (we're going to sell this one out, mark my words!), you might want to consider buying your tickets now for our fall run.

How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel
Directed by Jake Lipman, assistant-directed by Allison Lemel.
9 performances: Thursday-Saturday, Thursday October 17 through November 2, 2013 at 8 pm.
The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor, NYC.
Tickets: $18 at www.tictheater.com or by calling 212-868-4444.
*appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association.