top of page

WHO IS EARTHA MAE?
Created by and starring Jade Wheeler

REGIONAL PREMIERE

May 29-June 21, 2026

SYNOPSIS

“When I go back to the dressing room, I take off the makeup and I’M NOT ‘EARTHA KITT’ ANYMORE, I’M EARTHA MAE AGAIN.”

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.

WORCESTER MAGAZINE

"The production takes the audience, not as passive spectators, but as fellow time travelers, through the story of a beloved entertainer who made a mark in many ways across many generations."
Green Textured Background

MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT-PERFORMER, DIRECTOR, AND MUSICAL DIRECTOR-PIANIST

download (2).png

MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM

Playwright/Performer

Musical Director/Pianist

Director

Stage Manager

Scenic Designer

Lighting Designer

Costume Designer

Choreographer

Prop Designer

Lead Carpenter

Scenic Charge

Jade Wheeler

Livy Scanlon

Drew O’Phaelan

Frank Chavez

Ethan Vail

Kathleen Doyle

Joanne Caidor

Lisa Hackman

Eugene Alcorn

Paige Spizzo

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PRODUCERS

Producing Partner

Cheryl Wyatt & John Wenderski 

Presenting Producers  

Gerald & Sondra Biller 

Marge & Leon Ellin 

Executive Producers

Gulf Coast Community Foundation  

Mercedita O’Connor 

Co-Producers

Carole & Raymond Noveck 

Emilie Robinson 

Jeffrey Hamblin, MD & Mark-Alan  

Linda & Reid MacCluggage 

Nancy Woodruff & Mark Lancaster  

Susan Talarico & Mike Sundermeyer 

The Bradbury Family 

Associate Producers 

Annette Haile  

Carole & Malcolm Schwartz  

Frank Taylor & Barry Schroeder 

Johnson Singer Arts Education Fund 

Richard & Barbara Scissors 

Scott Talbot Lewis & Tony Gibbons 

Skip & Janis Swan 

Blurry Purple Background

TICKET INFORMATION

May 29 to June 21, 2026

SHOWTIMES:

WEDNESDAYS THROUGH SATURDAYS AT 7:30pm
SUNDAYS AT 2:00pm

TICKETS:

STANDARD TICKETS:   $44
UNDER 40** TICKETS: $30
STUDENT** TICKETS:   $5

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES:

Thursday, May 28, 2026 @ 7:30PM - Preview Performance

Saturday, May 30, 2026 @ 2:00PM

*Thursday performances are part of our Talkback Thursday series. Talkbacks are moderated discussions with the cast that take place after the performance, offering audiences an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the show.
**Must present valid ID.

Content Note: This show contains themes that some audience members may want more information on before attending. If this sounds like it could apply to you, you can view the content information by clicking here.

bottom of page