In 2009, Holland Taylor (known for defiant and risque roles) wrote a play called Money, Marbles and Chalk: An Affectionate Portrait of Ann Richards, later changed to Ann. Taylor forged this remarkable, full-length monologue after extensive, considerable research. It premiered at The Grand Opera House in Galveston in 2010, going on to great success in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and New York. It’s currently playing at The Kalita Humphreys, starring Libby Villari.
I have always found terms like “sassy” or “feisty” contemptible. They degrade women, seeking to quash them, when they assert themselves. Apart from Taylor’s undeniable brilliance, I shudder to think how Ann might have turned out, in the wrong hands. The Ann Richards we see in Ann is frank, unashamed and never hesitant to call people out. That is not to say she was cruel, insensitive or vindictive. She was only the second woman governor in Texas (the first was Ma Ferguson). She mastered the demands of being Texas Governor in 1991, communicating without equivocation, yet sentient of other’s feelings. She could be charismatic, but never groveled, flirted or resorted to chicanery.
Ann explores the complexity of Richards, balancing the ordeals of the office with levity, humanity and warmth. Sometimes the humor is blue and the warmth might come from a family gathering that involves mostly tact. Holland Taylor’s anecdotal approach lends the show authenticity and moments that are effective and sublime. It would have been terribly easy to make Richards an Annie Oakley or Calamity Jane. And the governor certainly had a sense of humor about herself. But somehow Taylor captures her raucous joy, while later reflecting on her bouts with alcoholism, and intense plea for a death row inmate. Ann presents a nuanced, absorbing portrait, never stooping to caricature.
Villari rocks the rafters as the fearless and sharp-witted Governor. She sustains a two-hour, one-woman performance, with modulation, dedication and gusto. Her intuitive feel for the mood and mien of Richards; her realization that does justice to Richards without becoming a valentine or painting her as a saint, is a revelation. Don’t miss Villari’s locomotive portrayal of this ring-tailed tooter, this magnificent soul.
The Dallas Theater Center presents Ann, playing October 15th – November 10th, 2019. Kalita Humphreys 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd, Dallas, Texas 75219. www.DallasTheaterCenter.org 214-522-8499.