WHO IS EARTHA MAE? Will Come to Urbanite Theatre
The solo show runs at Urbanite Theatre in Sarasota, with photos by Mike Hendrickson
Urbanite's 12th season will conclude with the regional premiere of the intimate play with music, WHO IS EARTHA MAE? created by & starring Jade Wheeler. The one-woman show explores the striking contrast between Kitt's glamorous public persona and her difficult upbringing, inviting audiences to discover the woman behind the icon.
“Eartha Kitt was resilient, singular, and fearless. On stage, she dazzled. Off stage, she spoke truth to power, confronting racism, censorship, and political injustice with unwavering clarity. Her life reminds us that artistry, authenticity, and advocacy are not separate callings, but intertwined imperatives,” says director, Livy Scanlon. “To me, her story feels less like history and more like instruction.”
Urbanite audiences will recognize Scanlon from her acclaimed performance in JUDITH during Season 10. Like JUDITH, WHO IS EARTHA MAE? is presented in partnership with Hanover Theatre Repertory (THT Rep), continuing a dynamic collaboration between the two companies.
“Eartha Kitt was a groundbreaking artist, and we are proud to share her story with Sarasota audiences,” said Producing Artistic Director Summer Wallace. “This marks our second collaboration with Hanover Theatre Repertory, following JUDITH, and it's especially exciting as WHO IS EARTHA MAE? becomes the first musical production in Urbanite's history. It's a thrilling opportunity to expand our artistic vision while staying rooted in the bold, intimate storytelling our audiences expect.”
SYNOPSIS:
The sharp-witted, glamorous, incomparable Eartha Kitt commands the spotlight. But backstage in her dressing room, in the quiet between songs, she peels back the glitz to reveal Eartha Mae: a girl from the South Carolina cotton fields, orphaned by her mother until an audience adopted her.
Told through both story and song, Urbanite Theatre's first-ever musical production unearths the complex truth behind the icon: “I'm a dirt person. I trust the dirt. I don't trust diamonds and gold.”
In WHO IS EARTHA MAE? Jade Wheeler, playwright and performer, brings to life a powerful woman in search of happiness and the roots she never forgets.
Presented in partnership with The Hanover Theatre Repertory in Worcester, MA.
Biographies
Jade Wheeler (Playwright & Actor) – is an award-winning actor, audiobook narrator, and voice-over artist. A graduate of George Mason University, Jade has been performing professionally since 2006. WHO IS EARTHA MAE? was first performed as a 10-minute workshop piece in Washington, DC, and she is thrilled to present her show at Urbanite. Favorite credits include RACE (Gablestage, Miami), THE ORIGINALIST (Asolo, Sarasota), RUINED (Everyman Theater, Bethesda), and METAMORPHOSES (Constellation Theater, Washington, DC). She currently resides in Belgium with her partner and two kids.
Catherine Stornetta (Musical Director & Pianist) – Catherine has performed in all but three states, in five different countries, on cruise ships circumnavigating the globe, and once, after being bitten by a dog, with only her right hand and left thumb. She orchestrated FORBIDDEN BROADWAY and FORBIDDEN CHRISTMAS for symphony orchestra and has therefore conducted the Detroit, Hartford, Winnipeg, North Carolina, Rochester, Syracuse, Ft. Wayne, UNLV, and Adelaide (Australia) Symphonies. She composed the score for the Cable ACE-award winning documentary for A&E's “BIOGRAPHY” series: CHRISTA MCAULIFFE, TEACHER IN SPACE, and she has written and arranged music for several shows: INTRIGUING PEOPLE (for People Magazine), 12 ANGRY REINDEER, ALL-OF-A-KIND FAMILY, REINDEER GAMES, and SEASONS. She has worked at most of the theaters in Boston, and in 2020 was a recipient of the Elliot Norton Award for her work on PARADE with Moonbox Productions. She was most recently the arranger for David Hyde Pierce's performance as the Child twins on HBO's JULIA. In her salad days, she was an occasional soloist with the Boston Pops and a student of Darius Milhaud and Claude Frank.
Livy Scanlon (Director) – is a producer, director, actor, and teaching artist, currently serving as Artistic Director of The Hanover Theatre Repertory in Worcester, MA, and Lecturer in Theatre at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. They are thrilled to return to Urbanite after performing the world premiere of JUDITH, by Katie Bender. Livy's other credits include Prague Shakespeare Company, Trinity Rep, Asolo Rep, Paper Mill Playhouse and Hartford Stage. Livy earned an MFA in Acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep and a BA in Theatre and Dance from Amherst College (summa cum laude).
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