Kathleen Turner Takes On Molly Ivins - SFExaminer

[WillyT]

Kathleen Turner takes on Molly Ivins
By Greg Archer - SFExaminer
11/23/14


Kathleen Turner plays Molly Ivins in a one-woman show at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
COURTESY MARK GARVIN

<snip>

Clad in a pair of sassy red cowboy boots and an oversized denim button-down shirt, Kathleen Turner sits stage center and reads a newspaper article. “Personally, I love Americans,” Turner muses with a slight Texas drawl. “We think that the last words of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ are ‘play ball.’ Huge numbers of us believe in flying saucers, palm readers, horoscopes and pyramid power — a nation undeterred by reality! No wonder we went to the moon.

“And Iraq,” she quickly points out.

This isn’t Turner talking, per se. Rather, it’s the embodiment of the late Molly Ivins, the sharp-witted liberal journalist-author from Texas whose political rants and reflections are now the stuff of legend.

Turner makes her Berkeley Repertory Theatre debut this month, passionately filling Ivins’ shoes in “Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins.” The Oscar- and Tony-nominated actress relishes the role.

“It’s terribly important to me to be an activist, to be part of things I believe in and show up and speak out,” Turner says. “In that sense, I feel very bonded to Molly, because she believed strongly in people’s ability to do something, as do I.”

Penned by twin sisters Margaret Engel and Allison Engel and directed by David Esbjornson (“Thérèse Raquin”), the outing delivers Ivins’ fiery take on national politics and more.

<snip>

Link: http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/kathleen-turner-takes-on-molly-ivins/Content?oid=2912589

[UTUSN]

1. R#5 & K for, hey, if you Rec and DON'T kick, it SINKS!1 n/t

[belzabubba333]

54. how do you kick a post?

[UTUSN]

55. by replying just like this

[belzabubba333]

57. oh ok

[UTUSN]

60. *Welcome* to DU!1 n/t

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

2. I would just love to see that!

nt

[northoftheborder]

3. I would LOVE to see that!

[elzenmahn]

59. I'd pay to see that...

...Molly Ivins is one of those people who I wish I would have had the chance to meet before she passed on.

Sounds like her likeness is in good hands with Ms. Turner.

[Atticus]

4. kick! nt

[scarletwoman]

5. I'll do a kick, too. nt

[indepat]

6. Give 'em hell, Kathleen, in Molly's memory and style: make 'em think they are in hell or will soon

be.

[Scarsdale]

40. Molly and Ann Richards

Two of the smartest ladies to come out of Texas. Add Wendy Davis and the list is complete. Ann was the LAST intelligent governor Texas had. Since then, they have slowly gotten less and less intelligent. W and Perry are both deficient in the brains department.

[spanone]

7. k&r...

[frogmarch]

8. K&R!

!

I'd love to see it!

[mountain grammy]

9. I want to see that.

[Raine1967]

10. KICK KICK KICK!

[Kalidurga]

11. Perfect casting

[love_katz]

12. K&R

I'm not from Texas, but I loved Molly Ivins' writing.

[Suprk]

13. K&R

[SleeplessinSoCal]

14. We saw Turner as Ivins about 2 years ago in L.A.

Wonderful evening. I've got two of Molly's books. "Molly Ivins Can't Say That Can She" was a gift from my Republican mother - in the days before Fox News washed her brain. The other is "Shrub" about G W Bush. It seemed impossible that we'd elect that mental midget. And we actually didn't.

Enjoy Molly and Kathleen!

[hifiguy]

36. Pick up "You Got To Dancs With Them What Brung You."

Never read anything of Molly's I didn't love.

[MADem]

15. What BRILLIANT casting!!!!!!!! I mean BRILLIANT. nt

[oldandhappy]

16. Is she going to tour?

Would love to see this. Really really want to see it.

[Demeter]

37. Me, too

I am not going to SF for any reason whatsoever, not even this!

[catrose]

43. or a movie, please?

I haven't seen Turner play Ivins, but the play opened in Austin with a local actress who used to be Molly's neighbor.

[tech3149]

17. Now what we need is someone to do a Bartcop unleashed

Or Ann Richards. I hate to think we need a hero but we really do need some inspiration.

[greatlaurel]

18. K and R

[Iwillnevergiveup]

19. KICK!

YAY....Molly lives!

[ctsnowman]

20. Excellent!

[logosoco]

21. Kick!

What perfect casting! Glad Turner picked this up!

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

22. Texas better be their first stop.

[Bluenorthwest]

23. Turner has been doing this for a few years, I'd love to see it...

nt

[Enthusiast]

24. Kicked and recommended! This has got to be good!

[joshdawg]

25. K & R!

[Liberal_Dog]

26. K & R

Sounds good.

[malaise]

27. I'd love to see this

Oh yes!

[aikoaiko]

28. Nice. I love KT.

[niyad]

29. k and r and would love to see this!

[BobTheSubgenius]

30. I don't know how I could have liked Molly Ivins more.

Except to wish we had had more time with her. What a treasure she was, and kudos to everyone involved with this presentation.

My all-time favourite MI quote was about GWB.

"Not exactly bent double with intellect."

[Moostache]

31. K&R

A voice that has gone silent but is not forgotten...

[Grey]

32. Where can I get the DVD......?

Loved Molly.

[FairWinds]

33. Molly was brilliant , the . .

Mark Twain of her era. So many great one liners.
I always liked her comparison of Texas politics and Hungarian wine:
"Neither one of them travels very well."

[hifiguy]

34. Definitely want to see this.

She even looks a bit like Molly, whom I still miss deeply. Truly, Molly left no deserving ass unkicked.

[dhill926]

35. saw the show a couple years ago...

in LA. HIGHLY recommended...

[Hekate]

38. Molly Ivins lives on. Wish I could see this show...

[el_bryanto]

39. Molly Ivins was a national treasure - she left too soon.

I hope this shows up on HBO or something - so we can see it.

Bryant

[2banon]

41. I heard promo on the radio this morning, looking forward to seeing it!

[Duval]

42. Great news.

I was a fan of Molly Ivin and am so glad I printed kept some of her speeches, comments. Thanks, WillyT

[calimary]

44. That sounds like one helluva great show! I'd love to see this!

[Horse with no Name]

45. Snip on You Tube for "Red Hot Patriot"

[YOHABLO]

46. I think Molly would be very happy to be remembered this way .. long live Molly, she is so missed.

[whistler162]

47. Sounds interesting. She is looking good.

Glad her RA meds aren't doing what they did to a friend of mine. My friend gained a significant amount of weight until she changed doctors and the doctors changed her meds.

[mnhtnbb]

48. I made a special trip to DC in 2012 to see KT channel Molly in this show:

it was fabulous. I really, really enjoyed it.

And I so miss Molly. Met her once, in Lincoln (NE), when she came to
do a talk at a Jefferson/Jackson dinner.

[maced666]

49. I bet this is a GREAT show.

'Merikkka' is too busy watching football, a theater trip would do them good.

[WillyT]

50. FOUND: A Snippet On You Tube:

[BlancheSplanchnik]

58. My legacy will be HELPIN people

be a PAIN IN THE ASS...to those in powa.

[merrily]

51. Kicked for Ivins (not Turner).

[trof]

52. Bad headline. "Takes on"?

'Takes on' to me denotes disagrees with.
Much better would have been "Channels".

[WillyT]

53. Good Headline... Got Your Attention...

Made ya click, dude...

[SomethingFishy]

56. K&R