2 - 1 Woman Shows, "Jackie" - "Ann"

I have never reviewed 2 plays simultaneously.   But then, I have never seen 2, 1 woman shows back to back that beg comparison.   Both plays are of 2 iconic women of the 20th C who tell us their life story from the grave.  Jackie, refers to Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Ann is about Ann Richards. Both ladies were directly/indirectly connected with politics and Texas is significant in their seminal moments.  To get right to the point, as Ann would do:  I veto Jackie while Ann makes for a real power play.  "Jackie" is written by Elfriede Jelinek, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2004.  "Jackie" is a macabre, avant-garde production that takes itself superciliously.  Jackie  speaks of the horrors of her husband's assassination in gruesome detail.  She also wails on about how she perceived how the public perceived her:  a mannequin in Oleg Cassini's stylish but not too provocative clothes.  "Ann" written by & starring Holland Taylor, a 1st time playwright & 7 time, emmy winning actress is inspirational.  Taylor brings Richards life & legacy as Texas' Governor 1990-94 on stage in a thorougly captivating & entertaining show.  This multi-taksing, maverick with a mouth in the gutter and a heart the size of Texas makes for a trail-blazing production and left me wishing I had met her.  Ann left her successor (George W. Bush) a quote, "Love the good, hate the evil and establish justice."  I loved the play "Ann," hated the play "Jackie," but in fairness, I don't think Jelinek did her justice.