Review: ANN at The Classic Theatre Of San Antonio

I was a senior in high school when Ann Richards became governor of Texas. I was young then and honestly wasn’t paying nearly enough attention. I do remember, though, that it was a big deal for her to be our governor. One, because she was a Democrat, and two, because she was female. Despite that, I didn’t know too much about her when we sat down to enjoy Classic Theatre’s production of Ann on opening night. We thoroughly enjoyed walking through her story via this one-woman show, and we left knowing and appreciating Ann Richards in a whole new way.

Alfy Valdez’s beautiful set design placed us right in Ann Richard’s 1991 office, complete with rich furniture, patriotic set decorations and props, and a big-ol-Texas flag painted on the floor. Even the pre-show music took our hands and brought us right into the time and space of the story.  By the time the show started the audience was already amped up and ready to experience this iconic political tale. Rachael Lorenzetti’s costume design could not have been more perfect, and we enjoyed the nuances of Pedro C. Ramirez’s light design which helped shine light on the mountains and valleys of the story. 

Anna Gangai performed this demanding show with such precision, passion, and commitment as she took us on Ann’s journey to and out of the governor’s seat. Her journey walked us through self-discovery, alcoholism, divorce, motherhood, success, and defeat. All of this peppered with plenty of Texas-isms, which brought joy to my native Texas heart. In short, we saw a human politician sharing her life with us and shedding light on the difficult dilemmas and decisions she encountered. Gangai’s stunningly layered performance made us feel like Ann Richards was really there, like she was a real mother trying to balance her important and demanding career with being there for her kids and juggling life along the way. I think we all, political leanings aside, relished in the idea that a politician could be a real person with actual struggles and triumphs who tried to do her best for Texas. Not just for herself or for her own ideals, but as a true servant and representative of the people. 

We left feeling reflective and thoughtful. 

I would highly encourage you to head out and see this timely production. As per usual, Classic gets it right and presents an excellent and thought-provoking experience. 

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