Back before Facebook and Reddit, the average American turned to advice columnists for counsel on life’s everyday issues; and, for decades, one woman answered more than any other: Ann Landers.
The Lady with All the Answers, a one-woman play following Landers on one pivotal night, premieres Friday, Sept. 11 for a three-show run at The Hive (207 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint).
Starring longtime local thespian Kate McAlister, the nostalgic and heartwarming play begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11-Saturday, Sept. 12, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13, raising funds for the nonprofit Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theatre.
The play, written by David Rambo, takes place on June 30, 1975 from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., as Landers paces her apartment, reliving memories and revisiting her most impactful and ridiculous letters.
Kate McAlister as Ann Landers. Courtesy photo
“The premise of the evening is she has something really heavy to tell her readers, and so the evening is just sort of her doing busy work to avoid what she needs to be doing,” said McAlister, who reprises her role more than a decade after first taking the stage as Landers.
Known for her wit and compassion, Landers wrote thousands of letters and columns under the heading “Ask Ann Landers” throughout her 47-year career, tackling topics that ranged from dating advice to homosexuality and the Vietnam War. Her work connected experts and leaders in almost every field — including Supreme Court Justice William O’Douglas and presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon — with more than 90 million readers, bringing well-researched and insightful answers to individuals who often had no one else to turn to.
Following such a long and storied life, it’s easy to see why McAlister describes the play as a “roller coaster.” At one moment Landers is writing a column about the proper way to hang toilet paper — which garnered more than 15,000 responses — and the next she’s talking a reader through thoughts of self-harm, each with admirable amounts of kindness and grace.
“What’s so poignant is that she [addressed] all the issues dividing our country today, back in 1975: war, guns, abortion, morality, nuclear proliferation. …” said McAlister. “She just answered all the questions — whatever you wanted to give her, she didn’t flinch.”
Throughout the two-hour play, McAlister brings to life each individual’s stories, all united by one central, quirky character.
Though it’s easy to get caught up in the pageantry of the stage, McAlister is quick to remind audiences that the show is a tribute to real people and real problems to which we can all relate.
“I really want to reiterate that everything in the play is true, because some of it is so far-fetched, like being on a talk show with Linda Lovelace, the porn star,” said McAlister. “I just want people to know that these things really happened to her and this is really who she was. I want to do her memory service.”
Tickets are $23.64 at the door or online at livefromthehive.com. Learn more about LPO Repertory Theatre by visiting lporep.com.
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