By Nathan Waters
Saturday night saw the world premiere of “A Driving Beat” at Flint’s Elgood Theatre.
The original play by Jordan Ramirez Puckett focuses on a mother, Diane (played by Dani Cochrane), and son, Mateo (Mikee Loria), traveling cross-country from Ohio to San Diego, California in search of answers on the circumstances of Mateo’s birth and subsequent adoption.
Throughout the performance’s 90 minute runtime, viewers are treated to Mateo’s musical daydreams as he uses the sounds of the road to process his feelings of nervousness at what he might learn and the strain he feels of growing into his teen years as a person of color in predominantly-white Ohio.
Diane, for her part, works to bring balance between being a supportive parent, her own grief, and preparing Mateo for the fact that the answers he is looking for may be out of reach – all while never being able to truly understand her son’s lived experience.
Loria’s portrayal of Mateo brings to life a typical teenage boy who was plucked out of a local high school and put on stage. From his disinterest in his mother’s games and the passing landscape, to a near frenetic energy when he’s lashing out or trying to put his adolescent thoughts and feelings into words, Loria’s performance is spot on.
Loria rapping as Mateo during a vignette in “A Driving Beat.” (Photo by Mike Naddeo)
Cochrane also gives a well-rounded performance. Her Diane is caring, compassionate, and has corny mom jokes, but she is never defined solely by her motherhood. She has her own sets of fears and grief at the loss of her partner that undergird her actions.
Finally, Clara Tristan rounds out the cast as Reina in many forms: an uninterested diner server, a checkpoint Border Patrol agent, a flirty motel desk manager, and finally a hospital receiving nurse. Courtney Burkett’s direction ties the action and cast together, making it feel like the latter are genuinely having fun with one another.
The intimate setting of the Elgood – with walls adorned in facsimile of worn highway billboards and a stage set centered on a stretch of road and a dressed down mid-2000s blue Ford Focus – elicits feelings not unlike the close conditions of an extended time on the open road. The sparse additions to the set as the actors make various pit stops are well handled and efficient, while the change in lighting for the daydream vignettes presents a distinct mood.
“A Driving Beat” cruises along with no intermission, allowing viewers to develop a relationship with both of the main characters (and, presumably, giving Tristan time to change into her many hats). The story flows well with plenty of laughs amid the tense and serious moments one expects when dealing with grief, fear, and race.
All of this leads to what may feel an abrupt and somewhat saccharine ending that betrays the grounded nature of the rest of the show. All-in-all, the performance is certainly worth a watch.
“A Driving Beat” was developed in part at the FIM Flint Repertory Theatre’s 2023 New Works Festival and runs now through March 30. Following its run, The Rep will begin work on the Bower Theatre to repair flood damage from 2022, during which time the Elgood will also be closed.
The Rep’s 2025-26 season will be announced at FIM’s Season Reveal event on May 19. Tickets to “A Driving Beat” can be purchased here.
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