Left, But No Right or Center: Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Hobby Center

The life of late Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is plainly an act of reverence for playwright Rupert Holmes (master mystery writer, composer, and Tony-winning author of The Mystery of Edwin Drood).

In All Things Equal: the Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the “notorious RBG” is beatified on stage as the apex of compassion, legal acumen, skillful oration, amid a life punctured by medical problems, family deaths, male condescension, and a constant struggle to have her voice heard while fighting for the little man (or woman). At the end you expect a halo to encircle her.

Ginsburg had an incredible life, for sure, and she battled discrimination and petty assaults for most of her life. As a young female lawyer –  an anomaly in the early ‘70s – she argued for the Women’s Rights Project, a branch of the American Civil Liberty Union, and appeared before the Supreme Court six times, winning five cases. The opinions, with hundreds more, were ground-breaking for gender equality. Many times, she would represent a man to demonstrate the disparity between the sexes in the law, proving her point that if men weren’t given equal treatment, how could the current law also exclude women?

Her brilliance and feistiness, her wit and charm, her deep love for husband Martin and their two children, her unfailing quest to battle against injustice are on full display in Michelle Azar’s loving in-depth performance that lures you in, at first, by the uncanny resemblance, then the heart. We’re glad to be there. Costumer Devon Spencer, naturally, showcases her patented jabot collar. At one point, near the end of her life, she reveals a pink satin jacket emblazoned on the back with “The Supremes,” while she does her daily workout after another debilitating surgery. No wonder she became an internet meme, although she says that she doesn’t have a clue what that means. You want to hang out with this woman. We envy Court rival Antonin Scalia, far to her right, for their passionate friendship through the decades. Opera, good food, and travel kept these polar opposites, known as Washington’s odd couple, in platonic embrace.

As if talking to a group of school children, the play is a straight-forward telling of her life’s tale, like a dramatized Wikipedia entry. Behind her substantial desk are projections of a bookcase with shelves of law tomes, illustrations or film clips of whomever she’s talking about (Susan B. Anthony, a personal idol; Marian Anderson singing at the Lincoln Memorial; Bill Clinton, who nominated her for the Court; the nine “grumpy old men” she argued in front of; her beloved Marty and children). Set designer Tom Hansen and Video Projections Designer Mike Billings crisply shift the scenes. As older Ruth, Azar moves around the stage either in her office chair on casters or shuffles painfully about. When she’s the young professional lawyer on the rise, Azar is dressed in vivid blue skirt and jacket. Her voice register changes with the years; rather whispery near her end, vibrant and strong when young and arguing a case.

But Holmes is preaching to the choir here, and the audience is definitely pro-Ginsburg. Trump, Court Associates Kavanaugh and Thomas, Fox News are not warmly welcomed. The play skews left with a vengeance, and leaves little room for nuance. But Azar’s elfin twinkle belies the steel beneath. Ginsburg was a fighter and did much good for our country. That’s laid out clear and clean, and that warms us no matter which side we argue for.

All Things Equal: The Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 7:30 p.m. Friday, September 6. Zilkha Hall, Hobby Center, 800 Bagby. For more information, call 713-315-2525 or visit [email protected]. $49-$71.