CABS, COKE AND COMING OUT:
PEARL ONG’S JOYRIDE THROUGH SF
At The Marsh Theater, Pearl Ong—who describes herself as a “former Hong Kong Princess, pot-smoking and coke-snorting lesbian—is performing her one-woman show, Night Driver—and it’s a perfect fit for San Francisco. After moving here from Hong Kong with her mother in the 1970s, as many who struggle to pay the bills and go to school, she had a series of jobs. Her most interesting though was her stint as a cab driver. Night Driver is her story about San Francisco in the late 70s and 80s and her adventures drives all over the streets of San Francisco. Because of her school schedule she most often drove in her blue Desoto cab on the late-night shift. Many of her passengers were of course people coming home after the bars closed. Pearl tells us about some of her more unusual passengers and adventures—and it’s her matter-of-fact delivery that makes some funny stories very funny. Of course, she talks about San Francisco’s iconic places that no longer exist. Her social life and search for love took place in bars that were once where lesbians congregated. such as “Maud’s,” “Amelia’s” and “The Driftwood.”
Reminiscent of the 1980s television show Taxi, she and her fellow cabbies hung out and socialized at The Ha-Ra Club, a dive bar on Geary and Larkin Streets around the corner from the cabbie dispatch station. Casual drug use, cocaine in particular, was prevalent in the 80s—and Pearl was proud of never driving while high. Through her cab driving escapades, she manages to come out stronger and wiser. Her ultimate victory was to graduate college with a business degree so that her mother would not have to worry about her.
In 60 minutes, Pearl packs a lot in. And it flows wonderfully well under director David Ford‘s knowing direction. Night Driver is about perseverance and tenacity and captures a specific and almost forgotten time in San Francisco, which makes for a fun ride in the theater.
photos by Cynthia Smalley
Night Driver
The Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia St
60 minutes | no intermission | ages 15+
Sat at 8
ends on April 1, 2025
for tickets ($25-$35 sliding scale; $50-$100 reserved), visit The Marsh
