People may know Donald Driver as a former champion football player on the Green Bay Packers. But Driver is also an accomplished children’s book author, with a popular series all about a boy named “Quickie.” These books are the inspiration for a new play at First Stage, called Dream, Quickie, Dream!
It was written by Gloria Bond Clunie and directed by Dimonte Henning. For both of them, bringing this project to life was an exciting and enriching task.
The project first began when First Stage's artistic director, Jeff Frank, proposed adopting Driver's line of children's books into a stage production. Clunie says, "Jeff [Frank] sent me the books and what really hooked me was I read [Driver's] autobiography, Driven, which is the story of his life, and literally it is a story of him going from being homeless to a hero to a champion." A meeting was then set up with Driver directly and the play took form.
For Henning, the task of telling this story boiled down to highlighting the inspirational aspects of Driver's story. He explains, "What's so important for me — is that in telling this show — is that we don't know who's going to be in the audience and who's going to watch this show. Specifically [for] young people, I want young people to walk away feeling like they have a little chip on their shoulder, feeling like they have this dream that they can work hard at it and that it's achievable. And that they can do it because Donald [Driver] was in their shoes."
The show includes a lot of engaging components according to Henning. "The show takes place in the 80s, so it's a very much 80s hip hop, run DMC type of vibe that we're doing with this show. And it's unique, it's in your face. There's a lot of audience participation, which I love, and there are moments where you're literally going to feel like you're at a football game and that's great," he describes.
A consistent theme behind the play is perseverance. "It's not going to happen overnight. You're going to have obstacles. Persevere through them. Know that you're allowed to make mistakes. As long as you keep moving in that right direction," says Henning.
Dream, Quickie! Dream! is currently running until Oct. 29 and is written for all ages at the Marcus Center's Todd Wehr Theater.
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