But a month after Bill Minutaglio and W. Michael Smith's book about the late, great Molly Ivins hit stores comes word of a stage production based on the Dallas Times Herald columnist's life: Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins, scheduled to debut March 19 on the Philadelphia Theatre Company stage. And, as you no doubt guessed by the photo and the headline (a reference to Body Heat, ahem), Kathleen Turner will play Schutze's former drinking buddy, competitor and comrade -- and, natch, "the famously bawdy newspaper columnist, political commentator, and bestselling author." The piece was written by sisters Margaret and Allison Engel. So here's a bit from the blurb, for those who need to make travel plans accordingly:
A true Texas original, Ivins was a sharp-tongued liberal who skewered the political establishment and the "good ol' boys" with a heaping helping of her unforgettable wit and wisdom. This one-woman play celebrates Ivins' endurance and tenacity even when it seemed like a complacent America wasn't listening.