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.
Content Note: Adult language, racism, child abuse, rejection, mentions of the Vietnam War, politics, brief moment of flashing lights, live accompaniment,
and the life of Eartha Kitt.
MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT-PERFORMER, DIRECTOR, AND MUSICAL DIRECTOR-PIANIST
Jade Wheeler 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. jadewheeler.net
Livy 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 ). Special thanks to Summer and the Sarasota community. Love and gratitude always to R and P. Learn more and follow along at WorcPlaymaker.com and @_worcplaymaker___.
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.
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
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.