Ann

       I was doing really well for a while in writing blogs about shows before the closed. This weeks entry I'm afraid is back to my old habits. I actually saw this show in time to write about it before it closed, but for some reason...yeah.

      Holland Taylor was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a play for her work in the solo show (which she also wrote) Ann about the late Gov. Ann Richards. In case you (like me) know nothing about Ann Richards, she is the second female Gov. of Texas. She is also one of the only Democrats in the past 100 years to have held the post.

     There are three "acts" in this two act play. The first is that in which Ann addresses the audience directly and tells of the time before she was Governor of Texas. This includes background on her parents, her childhood, her marriage, and her first forays into politics. This is all very interesting. Truth be told, you could have had a 90-100 minute play using just this one section of the play and it would have been a fascinating evening of theater.

   The second part of Ann deals with her time in office as Governor. This is where the play drags a little bit. Since this is a one woman show, we are only given one sided phone conversations and brief exchanges with Ann's off-stage personal secretary Nancy Kohler (voiced by the always effervescent Julie White). This is to show us what Ann was like as Governor, and what it was like FOR her as a female in what was considered to be a mans game (at the time).

      Some of what is in this section is interesting. Unfortunately, due to the structure, after a few one sided phone calls it becomes tedious. Holland Taylor is always wonderful in the role, but the writing isn't interesting enough to hold our attention. If Nancy Kohler had been a physical presence instead of a disembodied voice it may have broken up some of the monotony of the phone calls a little better.

     The third section of the play deals with Ann's life after Gov. and her eventual death. This third section is too long. In fact the play feels like it had already ended. Though I will say that her final speech at the end of the third section of the play is the most beautifully written section of the entire evening.

    Ann Richards was certainly a fascinating woman, and a wonderful choice of subject for a play. I'm not sure if she is being best served in this particular one actor version. I think if perhaps the play had been edited down to be 10 minutes shorter in each act, especially the phone conversations, than it would have flowed better and been more riveting. The first and last 20-25 minutes are excellent, it's the middle that muddles things.

    Ann was written by Holland Taylor and directed by Benjamin Endsley Klein. Scenic Design by Michael Fagin, Costume design by Julie Weiss, and lighting design by Matthew Richards (no relation). Ann closed on Broadway at The Vivian Beaumont Theater on June 30th, 2013 after 19 previews and 132 regular performances.