A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Red Hot Patriot

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  1w

Margaret Engel, Allison Engel

This one-woman show about the unsinkable Molly Ivins, the famously brassy newspaper columnist and best-selling author, celebrates Ivins' courage and tenacity – even when a complacent America wasn't listening.

Red Hot Patriot

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w
  • Duration
    Duration
    75 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Biography, Docudrama/Historic
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
The story of the unsinkable Molly Ivins, the famously brassy newspaper columnist and best-selling author. A true Texas original, Ivins was a sharp-tongued wit who skewered the political establishment and the “good ol' boys” with her unforgettable humor and wisdom. Written by twin sisters, themselves longtime journalists, the play celebrates Ivins' courage and tenacity – even when a complacent America wasn't listening.
History
Red Hot Patriot was first produced by Philadelphia Theatre Company in Philadelphia on March 19, 2010. Directed by David Esbjornson, the production starred Kathleen Turner as Molly, with Billy Kametz as the Helper.
Keywords
Performing Groups
MOLLY – a tall, brassy, middle-aged reporter.
HELPER – an impassive copy clerk who can be either male or female (non-speaking role).
  • Time Period New Millennium/21st Century, 1990s
  • Setting The suggestion of a newsroom past its prime. 2007 and earlier.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No intermission
  • Duration 75 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“An inspiring piece of theater.” – Broad Street Review

“A memorable portrait of a crusading journalist who broke gender barriers to establish herself as one of the nation's most influential and compassionate political columnists.” – Theatermania

“It's a very interesting piece of work, in that it encompasses the whole scope of her life. You get her history, you get her politics, you get a taste of her relationships (the most important of which was her antagonistic one with her father). You follow her all the way to the end of her life in this play. My hope – the way I feel about it as an actor – is that you're really sad when it comes to an end. You think about the political scene today and it would have been great fun to watch what she would would have done... I think that there are some beautiful things in this piece about encouraging people to realize that no matter what you do in life, you have another job, which is being a citizen!” – Betsy Kruse Craig, Artistic Associate, Invisible Theatre in Tucson, AZ

“Red Hot Patriot is an inspiring piece of theater.” – Broad Street Review

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

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Authors

Margaret Engel

Margaret Engel
Margaret Engel directs the Alicia Patterson Journalism Foundation and was the managing editor of the Newseum. She was a reporter for the Washington Post, Des Moines Register and Lorain Journal, and was a Nieman fellow at Harvard. She and her twin wrote the play Red Hot Pa ...
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Allison Engel

Allison Engel
Allison Engel has been a reporter for the Des Moines Tribune, San Jose Mercury and Pacific News Service, and a Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University. She was a speechwriter for former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack and lieutenant governor Sally Pederson and president of ...
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