The Driveway
A Tale of Faith and Longing
a play by Tom Flannery

Original stage production directed by the late great 
Pulitzer Prize winning dramatist Jason Miller

Starring Gene Malone
 

 Author's Notes | Reviews | Contact| Remembering Jason Miller

Play Summary -Patrick Nealon returns to his boyhood home on the day of his brother’s funeral, and is confronted anew by the memories, fears, triumphs and failures he has spent a lifetime trying to suppress. 

Set in the old Northeast Pennsylvania mining town of Jessup, Nealon recalls the days that he and his brother Francis had to deal with the poverty of the great depression, the alcoholism and reticence of their father, and the tough love of their autocratic mother. And all the while Patrick fights against the notion that his only recourse is to flee the valley, at one time trying to explain himself in a way that might make perfect sense to current valley residents..…… 

Somebody looks out the door and sees decay and no future, and another looks out the window and sees………well, home. 

Nealon clings desperately to the memory of his mother, as it seems to strengthen him. And while his Brother and Father eventually succumb to apathy, he seems determined to carry on. And as his night wears on, he refers once again to the most important person in his life, bringing himself back to a simpler time….for him at least: 

Ma says she’s waiting for me at home, and I really want her to rest up. She looks so young and fragile, and I’d hate to see her break down like other women around here. All broken by the weight of dreamless sleep and constant worry. If it’s still true, it will ease her mind some, and that’s all I ever wanted for her. I never wanted to add to anyone’s burden. Especially Ma’s. 

The original production of The Driveway was directed by the late Pulitzer Prize winning Dramatist Jason Miller, and starred perhaps Northeastern Pennsylvania’s finest stage actor, Gene Malone, in the demanding role of Patrick Nealon.

The great Southern novelist and Civil War historian Shelby Foote once wrote that in the 30 plus years he spent researching and writing his great Civil War Narrative Trilogy, the novelist side of him was often tempted to juice up stories some….you know, another way of saying 'make something up'. 

Yet every time he got to this point, he realized that nothing his imagination could conjure up was ever more interesting than the truth. So he stuck to the facts, and his completed work stands up as both a incredible historical achievement and a monumental human drama. 

Now, far be it from me to even mention my name in the same sentence as the great Shelby Foote, but I'll say very humbly that I now know exactly what he meant. But, unlike Mr. Foote, I did not have the nagging inconvenience of historical facts to deal with. So, like a switch hitter in baseball, I was allowed to swing from both sides of the plate. 

By this I mean that much of what appears in “The Driveway” is not made up (truth is I do not possess nearly that much imagination). Yet, very much like a jigsaw puzzle made of clay, I was able to mold one piece to force it to fit next to the other. Therefore, multiple events became one event, and multiple people spanning multiple years in multiple places coming from multiple families made up of multiple ethnic backgrounds doing multiple things to and for multiple people became the Nealon family. Clear? Well…neither am I exactly. But I’m just the writer. And as my good friend Gene Malone so eloquently puts it….”writers are all a pain in the ass.” No argument here. 

It has often been said that if you are of sound mind and temperament, then the last thing in the world you'd want to get involved with is writing. If indeed I ever fit into that 'sound mind and temperament' category, I can honestly say (and my wife would agree) that I am no longer a charter member. For me, the process of creating "The Driveway" has proven almost schizophrenic at times, with some days leaving me feeling elated and giddy, and others giving me the peculiar sensation of pushing an automobile up Mt. Everest, only to know all along that what awaits me at the summit is an appointment with a Sherpa dentist. 

Yet "The Driveway" is finally finished, and is now in the extremely capable hands of Jason Miller and Gene Malone. In my wildest dreams I never imagined that I would be able to work with such extraordinarily talented men, much less on my first completed play. Yet they have both shown such enthusiasm and faith in the project that I cannot at this time imagine not working with them. 

With a "Miller", "Malone" and "Flannery" in the same room at the same time, and with none of us shy (or quiet) about stating our respective opinions, I was fearful that we might rekindle the Irish Civil War. But alas, we have thus far co-existed in complete harmony. And since the person most likely to be killed in our discussions is the pesky writer, at least I know that the show will go on. 

Slàinte.......... 

"The world needs more amiable personality disorders like those leaping from Flannery's psyche. (He) deserves prolonged applause. Rarely is a fresh voice willing to scream out on-stage for all to hear. Flannery shared a vision heaped in remembrance. Malone presented experience and clarity. Miller, as always, provided body and soul."

"Intelligent, witty storytelling. Malone enjoyed telling Tom Flannery's story. He immerses the audience in his every nuance, tonal inflection, and sip of Jameson's. Malone delivers splendidly. Two hours, one narrator and an untested playwright can cause skepticism in even the staunchest theatre devotee. "The Driveway", however, erased any doubt."

"The Driveway" is paved with humor. A humorous view of love and marriage, the politics of Catholicism, and the regional cold war between the Irish and the Italians. Mr. Malone knows how to establish audience rapport. He does a great job....."

"Patrick Nealon's tale is humorous and sometimes contemplative. When he launched into his interpretation of the Catholic Church's way of dealing with sin and guilt, the audience screamed with laughter. The winning combination is thanks to Gene Malone's considerable acting ability and Flannery's impressive grasp of language."

"The combination of Flannery's words, Malone's acting skills, and Jason Miller's direction effectively delivered to us a perfect mix of joy and pain, happiness and sorrow, and most of all a reason to laugh."

Jason Miller was my mentor. He was the first to say that I had the ability to become a successful playwright. Yet when Jason offered support, it was frequently more than verbal....so he offered to direct my play, "The Driveway". During the course of the production, we became good friends, and I'll always remember those days picking up the phone and hearing that gravely, poetic voice..."Thomas", he'd say in a low rumble. "Jason here..." I felt like a child at the foot of the master, which indeed I was. I loved every minute of it.

I remember going out on my front porch and calling for my wife in the yard to tell her that Jason was my director. I was using the porch railing as leverage to jump up and down, higher and higher, until she began to think I was having some sort of bizarre fit. "No", I yelped to her. "Guess who is going to direct my play?" She didn't believe me. She finally got to meet him opening night. As she was setting up the reception area for the post show party, Jason ambled over, introduced himself, and pointed to some filled glasses and asked..."hello Darling. Is this wine?" Perfect.

During rehearsals I remember mentioning how I loved Hal Holbrook's portrayal of Mark Twain in perhaps the greatest one man show in theatrical history, "Mark Twain Tonight". Jason agreed and casually offered to call Holbrook and ask him for any assistance that we may require. I had forgotten that I was dealing with Jason Miller, the only man in history to win a Pulitzer and be nominated for an Academy Award. People with resume's like this are allowed to call Hal Holbrook on the phone. I just stuttered and said..."um, yea, that's good to know."

As it turned out, "The Driveway" was Jason's last production. He died in May of 2001, and when I got the news, I hung my head and sobbed. While those of us who knew him were aware that Jason loved life, we also knew too well the side of him that may have loved it too much. He was in turn a poetic, lovable, disheveled Irish rogue with a twinkle in his eye, who could infuriate and then lift your spirits all while sipping the same drink...and the most down to earth, most generous man I have ever known.

We spent many hours talking, and I remember him telling me about his mother, whom he adored. The burning intensity in his eyes as he described this woman was spellbinding. Tears welled up in his eyes as he told me of her funeral...and how he did not want to let go. His hands had to be literally pried away from her.

Well now I know he is back in her arms again, where I know he feels safe. And we are left with his gorgeous words on paper, and his searing image on screen. But some of us are left with even more than that.

I'll never forget him.