Eve Harrington has nothing on Anna Fitzgerald, the smart, opportunist Republican played wonderfully by Kristen Bush in LCT’s D.C. drama The City of Conversation. The captivating play follows one Georgetown family through 30 years of political strife (matriarch Jan Maxwell is a staunch Democrat and a major D.C. power player and her son and daughter-in-law [Bush] are leading figures in Reagan’s new Republican party]. BroadwayBox caught up with Bush, whose credits range from King Lear at the Public to Josh Radnor’s film Liberal Arts, to get the scoop on working with Maxwell, how her character would thrive on House of Cards and the best place to get Thai food in NYC.
1. It’s safe to say that your character is the villain of this piece; who was your favorite villain growing up?
Whenever we would play Annie growing up—and we did that a lot because I grew up across the street from a college theatre that did Annie—I always wanted to be Miss Hannigan. I didn’t want to be Annie, I wanted to be Miss Hannigan so I could be mean to the girls.
2. Is there a D.C.-set political drama you’re hooked on?
Like the rest of the world I binge watched House of Cards, I really got into that. And how would you fit into that world if you were join the cast? Who would your ideal character be? I think I would want to play my character from City of Conversation, a Reaganite Republican baby. She is savvy; she is smart and she is cutthroat.
3. You spar onstage with Jan Maxwell, who is probably one of our best theatre actors today. What’s the greatest thing you’ve learned from working with her?
She’s so professional. She’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen, and she’s so generous—not only of her time and energy but she’ll give us little gifts all the time. And that's just incredible. She is devoted to this. She’s the most professional actor I’ve worked with and I can say that faithfully.
4. What’s the most embarrassing album in your iTunes? Which would you hope someone would delete if your phone were made public?
Phil Collins. I have alone time with Phil sometimes, depends on the day. And I don’t even think it’s one album; it’s worse, it’s his best hits.
5. When you want to have a great meal in NYC, where do you go?
I am a big foodie, but most of the time I want Pad See Ew with tofu. There’s a really good, dark basement restaurant over near City Center called Topez. It’s delicious. They have the best Pad See Ew in town, and get extra tofu.
See Kristen Bush in LCT’s ‘The City of Conversation’ at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre now through July 26.
