On one of her many visits to the Paramount, Ann Richards asked me if she could go backstage to meet Bob Newhart. Well that would be up to Bob… Ann laughed at me and said, “Just tell him I am here, Ken.”
Bob, of course, wanted to see her. They spent about 30 minutes laughing and sharing stories before Ann left. The next – and last – time I saw Ann she was heading backstage to say hello to her friend David Sedaris. Ann was a subscriber, donor and a friend. I miss her.
I first met Ann Richards while I was in college. She gave the keynote speech at my graduation when she was the Texas Treasurer. I had no idea that our paths would cross again, but they did several more times. She was a donor to the Austin Children’s Museum where I worked when I first came to Austin. She was also very involved with Planned Parenthood where I worked before coming to the theater. Each time I saw her I would stupidly find a way to remind her (again and again) that she spoke at my graduation. She finally told me that I could stop telling her that because not only did she remember but “now you are old enough that it’s not really nice to remind me.”
This week Ann comes to the Paramount as a character created by Two and Half Men’s Holland Taylor. I can’ t wait to see her again.
Off-Stage with Ken Stein 