Cardinal Stage Company will bring the story of Texas’s second female governor to the stage tonight at the Ivy Tech Waldron Auditorium with its production of “Ann.”
However, the story isn’t told by a cast of colleagues and citizens but by the main character alone. The actress playing Ann Richards in this one-woman show is Diane Kondrat, a Bloomington native who has been in productions from Seattle to Indianapolis.
“The play is really a biographical piece about a really powerful woman who forged a new path for women in politics in this country,” director Mary Beth Fisher said.
The story follows Richards through her political career. It provides the viewer with an insight into her character and personality and how she performed her duties as governor.
“I think a solo format for this play is really great because it puts a great spotlight on a woman who (many people) won’t know much about,” Fisher said.
The simpler casting changes the role of the stage and lighting crew, but not necessarily for the busier.
“My job is to create the physical world for the actors to be able to exist in, whether there is one or 20,” lighting designer Heather Gilbert said. “The process is a little easier when there’s one person. I never have to worry if the focus is on the wrong person.”
For some crew members, the single-person production creates a different routine entirely. For Alexander Allen, IU junior and assistant stage manager, his job is to assemble sets before each scene. The two sets are a university stage, with a podium at which she gives a graduation speech, and her office, with a stately desk as the focal point.
“The majority of the pre-show and during the show we are just doing the presets,” said Alexander Allen, IU junior and assistant stage manager. “It’s one-woman action, so nothing comes on or off the stage.”
The limited sets and casting lends itself to a more intimate production for the cast, crew and audience, Fisher said.
“With a one-person show, the scene partner for the actor on stage is really the audience,” Fisher said. “It’s really about helping the solo performer find that relationship with the audience in front of her.”
