Critics have appreciated How I Learned to Drive since it was first produced in 1997, with general praise that only intensified when the play won the Pulitzer Prize in 1998. Writing about the original production at the Vineyard Theater, off-Broadway, Robert L. Daniels wrote in Variety that Vogel "paints a richly poetic and picturesque landscape," referring to the way that the playwright uses words to show things that cannot be presented on the stage. Daniels credited Vogel with her ability to deal with pedophilia in a way that was not distracting or offputting, noting, "The play is a potent and convincing comment on a taboo subject, and its impact sneaks up on its audience." Stefan Kanfer, writing for the New Leader about the same off-Broadway production, found excellence all around: "Still," his review ended, after praise for the cast members, costumer, and scenarist, "as fine as these professionals...