OGDENSBURG — Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, “Driving Miss Daisy,” comes to life on the stage of George Hall Auditorium at Ogdensburg Free Academy, 1100 State St., Thursday, Feb. 16. This Neil Simon Festival production will be presented by Ogdensburg Command Performances. Curtain time is 7:45; preshow chat begins at 6:45. For tickets, $18 to $40, call the OCP Box Office at 315-393-2625, or visit www.ILoveTheatre.org.

Set against a backdrop of changing world events between 1948 and 1973, a feisty Southern widow and her proud, but soft-spoken, black chauffeur journey from [img_assist|nid=191882|title=Clarence Gilyard|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=250|height=310]suspicion and mistrust to respect and deep-rooted affection. Charlene Tilton stars as Daisy Werthan and Clarence Gilyard stars as Hoke Coleburn in this prize winning masterpiece.

Charlene Tilton’s career began at age 15, when she appeared in a series of Japanese clothing commercials with Ringo Starr.

She was cast as Jodie Foster’s friend in Disney’s original Freaky Friday. Various television shows and films followed.

At 17, Tilton began starring as Lucy Ewing on the television phenomenon Dallas for eleven years. In 2004, Tilton was a co-producer with Henry Winkler and Michael Levitt on the CBS two-hour reunion special Return to Southfork. She reprised her role as Lucy in the 2012 reboot of Dallas for TNT.

Tilton’s love for theatre took her to London where she played Honey in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and in 2008 played the Wicked Step Mother in “Cinderella.” She starred with Imogene Coca and Rene Auberjonois in “The Foreigner” directed by nine-time Tony Award winning director Jerry Zaks.

Tilton won rave reviews starring in LA Weekly’s pick of the week “Tell Veronica,” written by Tony Jerris, and received a LA Theatre Critic’s Award for playing eight different characters in “Dish Babies.”

In 2014, she chewed up the scenery as the Wicked Queen in “Snow White,” with Ariana Grande and Neal Patrick Harris at The Pasadena Playhouse.

Recently, Tilton guest starred on ABC-TV’s “The Middle” and costarred in three Hallmark Channel Movies. She just completed a costarring role with Nicolas Cage in “Vengeance, a Love Story” due for theatrical release in May 2017.

She is currently filming “The Road Less Traveled” for Mar Vista.

Tilton serves as president of Actors For Autism and teaches acting to actors with disabilities through Meet the Biz, and organization that promotes inclusion.

Tilton’s greatest joy is watching her daughter, country singer Cherish Lee, perform and help take care of their special needs rescued animals.

Clarence Gilyard is best known for his roles as Jimmy Trivette on TV’s “Walker, Texas Ranger” and as Conrad McMasters on “Matlock.” Gilyard is also known for such films as “Die Hard,” “Top Gun,” and “The Karate Kid Part II.”

After moving to Los Angeles in 1980 to pursue an acting career, he became the first black actor to undertake the role of the cheerleader in the play “Bleacher Bums,” then he segued into television roles.

As a character actor, Gilyard has made guest appearances on TV shows such as “Diff’rent Strokes,” “The Facts of Life,” “227,” “Simon & Simon,” and “Riptide.”

In 1982-1983, Gilyard was cast in the final season of the NBC-TV series “ChiPs” as Officer Benjamin Webster. He costarred with Jim Carrey in the 1984 NBC sitcom “The Duck Factory.”

In 2003. he took a professional sabbatical and earned his MFA in theater performance at Southern Methodist University. He now teaches acting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and works professionally, not only in television and film, but also in theatre for which he directs and acts at venues all across the globe.

Gilyard first performed with the Neil Simon Festival in 2012 when he crafted his role in “Driving Miss Daisy.” Last season he took on the role of Midge Carter in “I’m Not Rappaport” and directed “The Foreigner.”

Clarence shares his life with his beautiful wife and five children.