Stage West to Bring Back ANN by Holland Taylor.

Stage West is delighted to announce that its hit production of Holland Taylor's Ann will be returning to the stage for a 5-week run beginning June 9 at the Dupree Theatre, Irving Arts Center!

Richards, of course, became a household name when, at the 1988 Democratic Convention in Atlanta, she characterized George H. W. Bush as having been "born with a silver foot in his mouth." After Atlanta, she set her sights on the Governor's Mansion, and won. Even though she was defeated in her bid for a second term, she continued to work for the issues she was passionate about, until she came up against one more opponent she couldn't beat-cancer. Her death in 2006 ended a remarkable political career.

Stage West Executive Producer Dana Schultes thought this past election season was the perfect time to bring this show to our audiences, and she was right-the original 5-week run at Stage West sold out almost every performance. She immediately set about finding a way to bring it back, as those who couldn't get in were clamoring for more opportunities. The Dupree seemed like the perfect venue.

As before, the production is directed by Dana Schultes, and stars Linda Leonard, whose portrayal was critically acclaimed in the original run.

The set will be designed by Kevin Brown, with costume design by Aaron Patrick DeClerk. Wig design will be provided by Coy Covington, sound design is by Kellen Voss, and props by Lynn Lovett.

Ann will begin Thursday, June 9 at 7:30 and will run through Sunday, July 8. Performance times will be Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30, with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30. Ticket prices range from $40 to $50, and will go on sale March 1 through the Irving Arts Center box office at 972-252-2787, or through the link on the Stage West website, www.stagewest.org.

The New Yorker has called Holland Taylor "the first vaudeville Gentile we ever saw." Her New York stage performances include Bess in Breakfast With Les and Bess, the original productions of Butley, opposite Alan Bates, and A.R. Gurney's The Cocktail Hour. In Los Angeles she has performed in Kindertransport and in Yasmina Reza's The Unexpected Man at the Geffen. She has worked extensively in film, appearing in Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile, To Die For, Next Stop Wonderland, One Fine Day, George of the Jungle, The Truman Show, Keeping the Faith, Legally Blonde and Baby Mama, with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Nominated for an Emmy seven times, she won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for the sexy judge Judge Roberta Kittleson on "The Practice." Among her series starring roles: "The Powers That Be," Norman Lear's highly acclaimed political satire; "Bosom Buddies," with Tom Hanks; and "Two and a Half Men," with Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher. Holland was a dedicated student of Stella Adler, and has given talks about this great teacher. A Philadelphia native, she took a BA at Bennington College. In 2005 she became a student again, earning an MA from the University of Santa Monica, and in 2007, began work on this play. She will always be grateful to the Galveston Grand Opera's Maureen Patton, who took an enormous "Ann Richards-sized" risk in launching its first run; to Kevin Bailey, our shepherd from the start; to Benjamin Endsley Klein for his promise to "make the vision flesh;" and to Bob Boyett, who read the play as a friend, and looked up from the page as its producer. Visit Holland's website. http://www.hollandtaylor.com

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