'The Lady with All the Answers'

SANDPOINT — Long before Google could answer a question in half a second, before podcasts dissected relationships and before social media offered an opinion on absolutely everything, there was Ann Landers.

For decades, millions of Americans turned to their newspapers and looked for her column. They wrote to her about marriages, children, in-laws, neighbors, friendships, romance, loneliness and the many small — and sometimes spectacular — ways people manage to complicate their lives.

Now, LPO Repertory Theater brings that world to the stage in "The Lady with All the Answers," starring Kate McAlister as Ann Landers at The Hive this coming weekend.

Evening performances will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday, Sept. 12, with a matinee performance at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Part biography, part behind-the-scenes look at the woman behind the famous byline, and part very funny reminder that human beings have always been wonderfully ridiculous, "The Lady with All the Answers" offers an entertaining evening of theater, humor and nostalgia.

For audiences who remember Ann Landers, there is something delightful about returning to a time when an advice column could become part of the national conversation. Her readers waited for the next installment, clipped particularly memorable columns from the newspaper and sometimes even followed her advice.

And then there were the letters. Oh, the letters. People told Ann Landers things they apparently couldn't tell anyone else. Their problems ranged from the poignant to the peculiar — and some are so funny that it's hard to believe they were actually written by real people.

That collection of human foibles gives "The Lady with All the Answers" much of its comic spark. Beneath the period details and nostalgia is a story that feels remarkably current: people are still looking for love, making questionable decisions, navigating family dynamics and wondering what to do about the person who drives them absolutely crazy.

The technology may have changed. People haven't.

For younger audiences, the play offers a fascinating glimpse into a pre-internet world when a nationally recognized woman could build an extraordinary career simply by sitting down, reading thousands of letters and telling people — sometimes gently, sometimes bluntly—what she thought they ought to do.

In that sense, Ann Landers was something of a pioneer. She created a national community around questions that were intensely personal, proving that sometimes the best entertainment comes from simply listening to other people's problems.

Kate McAlister steps into the role of Ann Landers, capturing the columnist's intelligence, humor and distinctive voice while exploring the woman behind the public persona. The result is a character who is more complicated — and more human — than the familiar newspaper signature might suggest.

"The Lady with All the Answers" is a celebration of a remarkable woman, but it is also a celebration of a particular moment in American life: when newspapers arrived at the doorstep, telephones hung on the wall and an advice columnist could become a trusted part of the family routine.

Whether you remember Ann Landers fondly, vaguely remember seeing her name in the newspaper or have never encountered her column at all, "The Lady with All the Answers" offers something to enjoy. Come for the nostalgia. Come for the stories. Come to discover what people were confessing to Ann Landers long before they were posting it on the internet.

And perhaps most importantly, come find out what happens when the lady who supposedly had all the answers encounters a world full of people with very, very complicated questions.

Tickets available at lporep.com or at The Hive, 207 N. First Ave.