Youngstown, OH (May 9, 2022): Call Me Elizabeth, a one-woman show about the early life of Elizabeth Taylor, will have its live regional premiere at The Youngstown Playhouse this June. The production, written by Kayla Boye and directed by Erin Kraft, comes home to Youngstown following a live world premiere in the 2022 Hollywood Fringe Festival. The show will be presented in The Moyer Room for two performances, Saturday, June 25, at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, June 26, at 2:30 pm. General admission tickets are $20 plus a $3 service fee per ticket.

Fresh off her triumph as Best Actress for “Butterfield 8” and recovery from a recent brush with death, Elizabeth Taylor is struggling with her hardest role yet: herself. Set in May 1961, Call Me Elizabeth is inspired by Taylor’s conversations with writer Max Lerner as they discuss plans for a biography. Through an intimate conversation with Lerner, the star examines her early life, career, and loves as she grapples with the culture of celebrity and her place as Hollywood’s brightest star. The play illuminates the compassion of her character that inspired her later activism in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

“I am so excited to bring the live staging of Call Me Elizabeth to The Youngstown Playhouse following last year’s streaming production,” Boye stated. “I thank the leadership team for providing this partnership opportunity, and I am grateful for the chance to come home and share this piece with the community I love.”

The filmed production of Call Me Elizabeth premiered virtually during the pandemic with The Youngstown Playhouse, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Porchlight Music Theatre, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Howard Brown Health and Brave Space Alliance in support of HIV and AIDS programs.

Kayla Boye recently served as Executive Director of The Youngstown Playhouse and has been seen in Mary Poppins, Chicago, and Curtains. Currently a Chicago-based artist, her regional credits include productions with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Drury Lane Theatre, Fireside Theatre, Capital City Theatre, and more. Erin Kraft is a Chicago-based director and has directed new play workshops and world premieres for several theatre companies.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased Monday through Friday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm by calling 330-788-8739, or in person at The DeYor Performing Arts Center. Tickets are also available 24 hours a day online at youngstownplayhouse.org. Media passes, videos and interviews will be available upon request by contacting Kayla Boye at kaylaboye@gmail.com or call 330-647-9383.