TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s world premiere of “A Driving Beat” will take audiences on a dramatic mother-son road trip. The play opens Nov. 1 and runs through Nov. 23 in Mountain View.
Written by Jordan Ramirez Puckett, “A Driving Beat” follows a mother and son on a cross-country road trip dominated by the teen’s hip-hop music. During their journey, the Filipino adopted son and his white mother attempt to find common ground while exploring their pasts, identities and their love for one another.
The story resonates personally with director Jeffrey Lo.
“Being a brown person in America, I have had to learn how to both love who I am and love where I came from,” Lo said.
Lo said he was drawn to the play due to its mix of family dynamics and heartfelt emotion.
“I’m a real sucker for a mother-and-son story, I’m a sucker for a coming-of-age story, and I’m a sucker for a road trip story,” Lo said.
Lo added that he first became familiar with “A Driving Beat” in 2018, the start of the play’s journey to reaching the stage. After an overwhelmingly positive audience response at TheatreWorks’ 2024 New Works Festival, Lo said he knew “it was a no-brainer” for a full production.
Lee Ann Payne stars as the mother, Diane. The TheatreWorks veteran described her character as a wonderful, warm and caring mom. She said her connection with co-star Viktor Corpez – who plays her son, Mateo – was instant on stage.
“It took two seconds,” Payne said. “We were almost immediately bonded.”
Payne added that the most relatable part of the story is the universal “struggle to make a connection” with a teenager from a different background.
Lo noted that music is a central element in the play. Mateo uses hip-hop and spoken word to express himself, allowing the audience to hear his “internal monologue,” the director said. Diane, on the other hand, struggles to connect with the music.
“We don’t really show her taste in music, but we do show her lack in understanding her son’s taste in music,” Payne said.
Staging a play mostly set in a moving car presents a challenge, but Lo has embraced what he called a creative opportunity to “be theatrical” and “use our imagination.”
Ultimately, Payne said the audience’s own experiences will help them come along for the ride.
“I think everybody’s been on a road trip before,” Payne said. “We make it interesting by making it familiar.”
“A Driving Beat” previews at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 and Oct. 30, 8 p.m. Oct. 31 and 2 p.m. Nov. 1. The opening-night show is set for 8 p.m. Nov. 1. Future shows are set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays, through Nov. 23 on the SecondStage at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. Tickets are $49-$79.
For tickets and more information, visit theatreworks.org.
