It’s no easy feat to pull off a vibrant, riveting theatrical performance almost entirely on an office stage set, either in one-way “chats” with a phone receiver or in conversations with a disembodied voice on an intercom. But Ann, a WAM Theatre production playing now through October 28 at Shakespeare & Company, and starring Jayne Atkinson, does exactly that. Even in the preview performance on October 19, the production was fully realized, and managed to entertain while paying homage to the larger-than-life Ann Richards, former governor of Texas, as well as educate about her legacy.

Ann kicks off with Atkinson as Richards giving a (fictitious) speech to a graduating college class. It’s part career retrospective and part reach-for-your-dreams cheerleading, and helps the audience dive beneath the surface of the notoriously opinionated, let’s-get-things-done one-term governor.

From there, the play—written by Holland Taylor, herself an actor of outsize personality and the originator of the role—takes the audience on a ride through a day in Richards’ political life. From the daily crises she managed to her public acknowledgement of her battle with alcoholism, her up-by-the-bootstraps rise through the political ranks, her lovingly frustrated relationship with her children, her use of charm and quick wit to make her voice heard in the male-dominated political sphere, and her regular roasting of her aides, a three-dimensional portrait emerges of Richards as a tough yet vulnerable, mouthy yet eloquent, sharp-tongued yet fair-minded politician and woman.

Hair starched into a white nimbus and Texas drawl curling around each word, Atkinson is a game Richards. It’s a testament to her enthusiasm for the material and her adaptability as a performer that she’s able to not only sustain the audience’s interest, but also keep them laughing and, at several points, cheering along with her. After playing buttoned-up characters on House of Cards, Madame Secretary, and even The Walking Dead, Atkinson is clearly having a grand time portraying Richards as a ball-busting Southern raconteur who also happens to be capable, determined, and principled—even when those around her aren’t up to showing the same strength of character.

In this particular performance, Atkinson also handled the unexpected with ease. Only a half hour into the performance, an audience member experienced a medical emergency and was assisted out of the theater. When the play resumed after an unplanned 20-minute intermission, Atkinson not only didn’t miss a beat, but somehow seemed even sharper and more energetic than before. Her warmth, intellect, and resilience are a natural fit for the part, and she received a standing ovation at the end.

Ann isn’t just an entertaining look at a politician who’s savvy about both policy and public relations; given the current contentious political climate, it’s also a resonant look at what it means to govern—without trying to be the most popular person in the room.

Ann plays through October 28, 2018. Reserve tickets here.