Pasadena Playhouse to Present Kennedy in 'Lady With All The Answers'

Pasadena Playhouse will present Mimi Kennedy as Ann Landers in the the premiere of The Lady With All The Answers by David Rambo

Drawn from the life and letters of Ann Landers with the cooperation of Margo Howard the play will be directed by Brendon Fox and run from October 17 – November 23. Full casting will be announced soon. For more information including tickets sales please visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org

David Rambo (Playwright) David Rambo's plays include God's Man In Texas, The Ice-Breaker, The Lady With All The Answers, The Spin Cycle, and a new adaptation of Sinclair Lewis' Babbitt. His plays have been widely produced throughout the country, including productions at Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Geffen Playhouse, The Old Globe, Denver Center Theatre, ALLIANCE THEATRE, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Northlight Theatre, the Magic Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, and the Florida Stage. He has adapted several classic screenplays for live performance, including All About Eve, Casablanca, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and Adam's Rib. His adaptation of the Sunset Boulevard screenplay was performed at the Hollywood Bowl accompanied by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra playing Franz Waxman's original film score. He is a writer and producer of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, set in Las Vegas, the most watched TV show in the world.

Brendon Fox (Director) is a veteran director having helmed productions at many of nation's premiere theatres. Select production credits include Sky Girls, Much Ado About Nothing, Beyond Therapy, An Infinite Ache, The SantaLand Diaries, The Countess, Private Eyes at The Old Globe (San Diego); The Pavilion, Merrimack Rep; Arms and the Man, Alabama Shakespeare Festival; Much Ado About Nothing, LA Shakespeare Festival; Romeo and Juliet, The Floatplane Notebooks, Cape Fear Regional Theatre. Other projects include Twelfth Night, Academy of Classical Acting, The Shakespeare Theatre, New Village Arts; Much Ado About Nothing, Borealis Theatre Co; Arms and the Man, Pericles, greasy joan & co; Richard II, Writers Theatre Chicago; Heartbreak House, Shaw Chicago; Don Juan in Hell, Bailiwick Rep; Cloud 9, Diversionary Theatre; Sir Patient Fancy, The Juilliard School. Mr. Fox is also the former Associate Director of The Old Globe Theater and the current Associate Producer of L.A. TheatreWorks.

Ann Landers: Esther "Eppie" Pauline Friedman Lederer (July 4, 1918 – June 22, 2002) and Ruth Crowley were the main writers behind the public image of advice columnist Ann Landers and the syndicated advice column, of the same name. For about 45 years, the column was a regular feature in many newspapers across North America. People would write her letters to seek her advice concerning their personal problems, and she would publish her advice in her columns. Her writing style was direct, and often critical. She would often upbraid a letter-writer with the quip, "Watch it, bub!" Her stated opinions often seemed customized to appeal to her predominantly female readership.

The original "Ann Landers" was Ruth Crowley, a Chicago nurse who wrote the syndicated column for 26 newspapers from 1942 until her death (at age 48) on July 20, 1955. Lederer won a contest to become the new writer of the column, debuting on October 16, 1955. The column opened with a letter from a "Non-Eligible Bachelor", who despaired of getting married. Her advice was "You're a big boy now... don't let spite ruin your life." Lederer went on to advise thousands of other readers over the next several decades. Eventually, she became owner of the copyright. She chose not to have a different writer continue the column after her death, so the "Ann Landers" column ceased after publication of the few weeks' worth of material which she had written before her death.

Lederer sometimes expressed unpopular opinions in her column. She repeatedly favored legalization of prostitution and was pro-choice, yet denounced Madalyn O'Hair. In 1973, she wrote in support of the legalization of homosexual acts, saying that she had been "pleading for compassion and understanding and equal rights for homosexuals" for 18 years. Nevertheless, she described homosexuality as "unnatural," a "sickness," and a "dysfunction." Eppie and her husband divorced in 1975. In her column of July 1, 1975, Lederer wrote, "The sad, incredible fact is, that after 36 years of marriage, Julius and I are being divorced." She received 30,000 sympathetic letters in response.

While Lederer wrote the "Ann Landers" column, her twin sister wrote a similar personal advice column, "Dear Abby,"under the name, Abigail Van Buren.

As competing columnists, the two sisters had a discordant relationship. They publicly reconciled in 1964, but acrimony between them persisted. Just a few years before Eppie's death, they were not on speaking terms.

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