Youngstown Playhouse Announces Streaming Premiere Of CALL ME ELIZABETH
By BWW NewsDesk
In celebration of Women's History Month, The Youngstown Playhouse announces the world premiere of Call Me Elizabeth, a one-woman show about the early life of Elizabeth Taylor. Written by Kayla Boye and directed by Erin Kraft, the production may be viewed on-demand March 19-28, 2021.
Fresh off her triumph as Best Actress and recovery from a recent brush with death, Elizabeth Taylor is struggling with her hardest role yet: herself. Through an intimate conversation with her biographer, Call Me Elizabeth examines the movie star's early life, career, and loves as she grapples with the culture of celebrity and her place as Hollywood's brightest star.
Tickets are on sale now for on-demand viewing of the 75-minute film adaptation, which premieres on Friday, March 19, at 7:30pm, followed by a post-premiere talkback at 8:45pm via Facebook Live. Tickets are $15 per household and may be purchased at youngstownplayhouse.org.
The creative team includes Kayla Boye (Actor), Erin Kraft (Director), Christopher Pazdernik (Associate Producer), Ryan Cassell (Cinematographer), Ethan Deppe (Composer), Bethany Thomas (Vocalist), and Kàchí Mozie (Production Photographer).
Kayla Boye states, "Like so many, I have long been fascinated with Elizabeth Taylor, a pop culture icon who continues to captivate. In her youth, Taylor epitomized movie stardom, later becoming associated with her fabulous jewels, her popular perfumes, and her activism in the fight against HIV/AIDS. But what is the story behind the image? How does a star develop into a legend, and how does that legacy sustain itself? With Call Me Elizabeth, I hope to pay tribute to the life of this extraordinary woman by exploring how the strength of her character enabled her to break barriers with unshakable bravery-and with signature style."
The engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from Ohio Arts Council and the Crane Group.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS
Post-Premiere Talkback: Friday, March 19, at 8:45pm EST via Facebook Live.
Join the creative team of Call Me Elizabeth in a Facebook Live discussion following the streaming premiere. facebook.com/youngstownplayhouse
Musical Theatre Master Class: Saturday, March 20, 10:30am-12:00pm EST via Zoom.
In this virtual master class taught by Kayla Boye, participants will learn a musical theatre dance combination followed by a discussion of best practices to build confidence in audition and performance technique. For youth and adults ages 12+. Registration is $15 per participant and is due by Friday, March 19, via youngstownplayhouse.org.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Call Me Elizabeth is a solo performance piece about the early life of Elizabeth Taylor. Set in May 1961, the play is inspired by Taylor's conversations with writer Max Lerner as they discuss plans for a biography. Through a morning session with Lerner at The Beverly Hills Hotel, Taylor rediscovers her sense of self following her 1961 Academy Awards triumph and recovery from a nearly fatal battle with pneumonia. The play examines Taylor's career, life, and loves, chronicling her survival in the face of adversity and tragedy, and illuminating the core compassion of her character that inspired her later activism in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Call Me Elizabeth had its first staged reading on October 1, 2019, at The Den Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, directed by 12-time Joseph Jefferson Award-winner Hollis Resnik. In alignment with Taylor's advocacy work, the evening benefited Howard Brown Health. The play was named one of the Top 3 Solo Events of 2019 by the Michael and Mona Heath Fund.
