By: Darryl Reilly
“Do I really swear this much? You make me sound like a God damn tramp!” gripes the famously profane Ava Gardner to the ghostwriter of her autobiography in the vastly entertaining and poignant true-life dramatization Ava: The Secret Conversations. In addition to its subject, this play is noteworthy as it is finely written by Elizabeth McGovern who is ravishing as the movie star. It is an engaging 85-minute theatrical exploration packed with delicious insider show business gossip and is accentuated by the perpetual scent of wafting herbal cigarette smoke.
By 1988, the hard living and now impoverished Ava Gardner (1922-1990) lived in a London apartment and was recovering from a stroke. To raise money, she agreed to collaborate with English journalist Peter Evans (1934–2012) on a memoir. They met for over a year before she fell out with him, Ava: My Story was crafted with a different ghostwriter and released in 1990. Evans’ Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations was posthumously published in 2013; it is comprised of his interviews with Gardner and those who knew her, as well as his commentary on the imbroglio.
Ms. McGovern’s shrewd, well-constructed, and scintillating adaptation of Evans’ book is in the classic mode of two opposites conversing, clashing, and ultimately bonding. Biographical details are smoothly imparted; more facts are revealed by the smart device of Evans’ phone conversations with his unseen agent. He is drolly voiced by Chris Thorn whose comic timing is delightfully precise, especially when imploring the reluctant Evans to ask Gardner about Frank Sinatra’s penis. The jovial Mr. Thorn also appears as part of a crew of stagehands. McGovern demonstrates a superior command of dramatic writing with this polished small-scale work.
(Photo credit: Jeff Lorch)
Gloriously aided by ace costume designer Toni-Leslie James’ series of illustrative outfits, adorned with designer Matthew Armentrout’s lustrous dark wig, and wearing fiery red lipstick, the trim, seasoned, and radiant McGovern is visually credible as the mature Gardner. McGovern employs a throaty delivery while veering from grand to earthy inflections, suggesting Gardner’s vocal manner. While moving around, she subtly conveys the aftereffects of a stroke, and she periodically smokes and drinks glasses of suggested vodka with glee. McGovern totally and accurately channels the presence of Ava Gardner with her smashing performance. She is most passionate when describing Gardner’s poor Southern upbringing, holding forth on the Hollywood rat race’s toll on women, and reminiscing about paramour Howard Hughes.
Equally as impressive is the beaming and burly Aaron Costa Ganis as the wily Evans. Mr. Ganis’ English accent is perfection, and his animated physicality all enhance his sparring, jousting, and palpable affection with and for Gardner. Ganis’ histrionic mettle is further exhibited by his soaring turns as Gardner’s three ex-husbands. He offers wicked impressions of Mickey Rooney and Artie Shaw, and a soulful portrait of Sinatra; he gorgeously sings “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.”
“I ruined Frank’s life” says Gardner. A significant portion of Ava: The Secret Conversations focuses on their scandalous relationship and brief stormy marriage via dialogue and flashbacks. McGovern and Ganis are particularly resonant in these sequences. Sinatra looms over the play as his involvement with Gardner was the central event of their lives, they kept in touch until her death, and he persuaded her to drop Evans from her book as he had sued him for libel.
Director Moritz von Stuelpnagel injects plentiful presentational flourishes and achieves momentum with his bracing physical staging. Scenic designer David Meyer’s opulently detailed London flat has a grand desk in a downstage corner. Through Amith Chandrashaker’s vigorous and artful lighting design the desk magically becomes Evans’ office, abetting swift scene transitions. Yesteryear pop hits and effects are rendered by Cricket S. Myers’ entrancing sound design. Projection designer Alex Basco Koch creates atmospheric imagery and stunning views of the real Gardner for the finale.
Ava: The Secret Conversations is a triumph for Elizabeth McGovern both as a writer and as a performer, it is also a worthy tribute to Ava Gardner.
Ava: The Secret Conversations (through September 13, 2025)
New York City Center Stage 1, 131 West 55th Street, in Manhattan
For tickets, visit www.avagardnerplay.com
Running time: 85 minutes with no intermission