Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins at Austin Playhouse

Written by Margaret Engel and Allison Engel

Cyndi Williams stars as the notorious journalist in this acclaimed, one-woman play. Texan political journalist Molly Ivins was a sharp-witted and bestselling author of Bushwacked, an in-depth analysis of the George W. Bush Administration. She began her journalism career in 1967 at the Minneapolis Tribune, where she became the first female police reporter at the paper. She then became editor of the liberal biweekly magazine The Texas Observer in the early 1970s. From there, Ivins worked at the New York Times from 1976-1982 before spending ten years with the Dallas Times Herald. Molly Ivins became the most widely read self-proclaimed “pain the ass to whatever powers come to be.” Red Hot Patriot captures Ivins’ unflinching character by weaving personal anecdotes with her colorful take on national politics. The play is filled with Ivins’ sharp-tongued humor and mixes her political rants and personal reflections with a liberal dose of vigor and rowdiness.