Welcome to Heilman & Haver - Episode 71. We hope you enjoy the show!

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Kayla Boye

Photo Credit: Kachi Mozie

Kayla Boye is the writer, producer, and star of the one-woman show Call Me Elizabeth, chronicling 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.

Kayla is a Chicago-based artist whose credits include productions with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Drury Lane Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, Mercury Theater Chicago, Music Theater Works, BrightSide Theatre, Citadel Theatre, Fireside Theatre, Capital City Theatre, Bigfork Summer Playhouse, and The Huron Playhouse. As an arts administrator, she has worked in development, marketing, and finance for Goodman Theatre and Writers Theatre, and she has served as a producer for Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s Garage Rep series.

As a consultant for the Artistic Fundraising Group, her portfolio included work for Arts of Life, BrightSide Theatre, Chicago Composers Orchestra, Chicago Mosaic School, Oak Park Festival Theatre, and Snow City Arts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as Executive Director of The Youngstown Playhouse and she holds a BA in Professional Writing & Editing from Youngstown State University.

Kayla is also a Certified Nonprofit Professional through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. You can find out more about her work at kaylaboye.com and about the show at callmeelizabeth.com. Kayla joined us from Old Town Pasadena.

COMING UP NEXT EPISODE: Patricia Ward Kelly

Make plans to join us again in two weeks, Friday March 3rd, when we’ll welcome to the show Patricia Ward Kelly, widow and official biographer of the truly marvelous Gene Kelly. Patricia will be in Seattle March 17-19th to host a one of a kind event at the Seattle Symphony, Gene Kelly: A Life in Music. Get your tickets now at seattlesyphony.org and don’t miss Ep 72 on Friday, Mar 3rd.