Video: Writer Jamie Wax Discusses the Genesis of CALL MY IZZY on CBS MORNINGS
The new production is now playing for a limited time at Studio 54.
By: Josh Sharpe Jun. 20, 2025
Writer Jamie Wax is making his Broadway debut with Call Me Izzy, the new one-woman play starring Jean Smart. With the show now running at Studio 54, Wax stopped by CBS News to chat about the production, which has been in various stages of development for over 30 years.
"30 years ago, I was doing a very successful one-man show myself, and I was collecting characters in Louisiana," Wax explained. "I had an aunt who was one of the funniest people and greatest storytellers I ever knew. And she had a very difficult life."
He went on to share that, in addition to attempting to gain more insight into his aunt's situation, he interviewed 26 different women in domestic violence shelters. "Each one of those women made their way into this play over the years." Watch the full segment now, where Wax also talks about Smart accepting the role in this Broadway production.
Written by Jamie Wax and directed by Sarna Lapine, Call Me Izzy is a darkly comedic story about one woman in rural Louisiana who has a secret that is both her greatest gift and her only way out. It is a moving, tour de force portrait of a woman who resists being silenced by embracing her tenacity, humor, and fiery imagination. Starring six-time Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated actress Jean Smart, the show is running through August 17, 2025.
Call Me Izzy features Scenic Design by Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams (McNeal – Assoc., My Fair Lady - Assoc.), Lighting Design by two-time Tony Award winner Donald Holder (South Pacific, The Lion King), Costume Design by Emmy Award winner Tom Broecker (Little Shop of Horrors, “Saturday Night Live”) and Sound Design by Beth Lake (McNeal, Uncle Vanya). Casting is by Caparelliotis Casting (Eureka Day, Mary Jane), David Caparelliotis, CSA and Joseph Gery. Production Stage Manager is Howard Tilkin (Funny Girl, Lempicka), and the production’s Technical Supervisor is Juniper Street Productions (The Great Gatsby, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). Two-time Tony Award nominee Johanna Day is the Standby for Ms. Smart.
