Mary Ann Isaacs Saunders

In true theater fashion, Mary Ann Isaacs Saunders has exited stage left, in the middle of co-directing her 25th show, CLUE at Theater Lawrence, still in rehearsal.

Mary Ann was born June 23, 1949, in Lawrence, KS, the daughter of Fred and Mary (Breakey) Isaacs. Mary Ann’s childhood was sprinkled with treehouses, riding horses, licking her peanut butter toast so her brother wouldn’t steal it, walking to school, and of course, her lifelong struggle with asthma.

The theater was always in her blood; she was in high school plays, and it was no surprise when she went to Emporia University as a Theater major. She also studied upholstery, learning many of the tricks of the trade, and of course, her painting!

After college, Mary Ann traveled abroad with the USO, lived in the Kansas City area, and worked as a Leg Model! She married Charlie after a whirlwind 3 months of dating and promptly moved to Washington, DC, where Mary Ann took a job with a fashion designer tailoring clothing of eccentric style, and vestments for preachers.

When they returned to Kansas, they bought a farm near Leavenworth where they had their three boys. Mary Ann really started her watercolor painting and attending art fairs in the region. She also started teaching yoga, and in true fashion there is proof of her doing a backbend while VERY pregnant!

She and the boys moved to Lawrence after her husband Charlie, passed away, taking a job at KU Endowment but also coming back to the theater. Mary Ann went back to school in the early 2000s while working and successfully obtained her Bachelor of Arts from KU.

Since the late 1990’s Mary Ann touched every show and every volunteer coming through the Theatre doors.  A talented master painter, she could use a feather to turn a surface into marble and a broom to woodgrain a floor.  Her rocks, her clouds, her colors were true works of art. In her years at Theater Lawrence, she painted, but also directed, stage managed, acted, did hair, make-up, props, and engineered concessions. She “mothered” volunteers with stews and water bottles and ice packs and band-aids.

In 2003, she took over the directorship of the Vintage Players at Theater Lawrence and shepherded that group through performances and activities ranging from grade schools to retirement homes.

In 2008, Mary Ann was inducted into the Theatre Lawrence Volunteer Hall of Fame.

For the last 24 years, Mary Ann had volunteered with Audio-Reader. She was recognized by the International Association of Audio Information Services (IAAIS) when she was awarded the 2017 Program of the Year (Consumer Information category) for her Mail Order Catalog show.

Earlier this month, Audio Reader had its volunteer banquet, where the keynote speaker said, “Mary Ann Saunders reads the catalogs, and she could sell a yacht to a person in the desert. The way she describes what’s for sale is just so interesting and exciting. She describes a pair of pants and the colors in which they are available, and then proceeds to describe all the different tops that they can get with it, or runs across a toy with “oh, I know what my grandkids are getting this year.” And just how interesting she can make what could be an extremely dull topic.” She was one of only two people who received a shout-out for an excellent recording.

Mary Ann seemed always to be carrying around a bag full of whatever task at hand she was tackling (props, crocheting, painting, scripts, hair, yoga), and always eager to show pictures of her current set she was painting, dog, or clouds in the sky that she pulled over to capture and admire. But now, she can paint the clouds, sunrises, and sets daily for us to look up at and know she’s still stealing the show with her backdrops.

Celebration of Life services for Mary Ann Isaacs Saunders, 75, Lawrence, KS will start at 5 pm, followed by a visitation until 7 pm at Theatre Lawrence on May 10 ^th , 2025. Mary Ann passed away April 17, 2025, at LMH Health.

Mary Ann is survived by her son, Dan (Amy) Saunders, Lawrence, Ks, Matt (Stefni Bell) Saunders, Minneapolis MN, Karl (Lauren Lang) Saunders, Adel IA, six grandchildren from Dan & Amy, Tucker (Overbrook, Ks), Ethan, Aliya, Clancy, Milo, Mose, and sister-in-law, Vicki Isaacs, Lawrence, Ks.

Mary Ann was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Charles Keith Saunders, and brother, Jon Thomas “JT” Isaacs..

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Mary Ann’s name may be made to Theatre of Lawrence Vintage Players https://theatrelawrence.ludus.com/fundraiser.php?id=4192