One-woman play 'Who is Eartha Mae?' looks at the life and legacy of iconic performer Eartha Kitt

Orson Welles called her the most exciting woman in the world. The Johnson administration had her blacklisted for speaking out against the Vietnam War at the White House. Now, Eartha Kitt comes to purring to life once more when The Hanover Theatre Repertory brings Who Is Eartha Mae? to the BrickBox Theater on April 8–19. The intimate play-with-music puts the throaty sensation back centerstage (where she always belonged) 18 years after her death.

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Created by and starring Jade Wheeler, the production strips away the myths and the memes to reveal the woman beneath the icon. Forget "Santa Baby" and her turn as a campy, vampy Catwoman on the Batman TV show. Kitt grew up in poverty in South Carolina and went on to master four languages (she sang in 11), with a Tony-nominated Broadway career and international fame as a cabaret artist.

Now, Wheeler will channel Kitt’s famously feline charisma while digging into the harder truths of finding success within a deeply unequal industry. Those truths could be very hard indeed, as when Kitt found herself quickly punished for speaking up about the Vietnam War during a 1968 ladies' tea at the White House, hosted by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. After her remarks, Kitt found herself branded a "sadistic nymphomaniac" by the CIA and turned to performing in Europe.

THT Rep Artistic Director Livy Scanlon directs the show-with-songs, which will have music director Catherine Stornetta providing piano accompaniment, as well as scenic design by Peter Rule, costume design by Kathleen Doyle, lighting design by Stephen Petrilli and choreography by Joanne Caidor.

“Eartha Kitt was a groundbreaking artist, and we are proud to share her story with New England audiences,” Scanlon said in a statement. “Jade Wheeler’s performance brings Eartha to life in a way that makes this show truly unmissable.”

After the Worcester performances, Who Is Eartha Mae? will be seen at Sarasota's Urbanite Theatre.

The BrickBox Theater is located inside the Jean McDonough Arts Center, 20 Franklin St. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.