Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 24, 2026

Call Me Izzy

Call Me Izzy is the debut stage play by American playwright Jamie Wax, which premiered on Broadway at Studio 54 in 2025, starring Jean Smart. The one-actor play follows a creative woman who hides her passion for writing from her abusive husband. For his writing, Wax was nominated for the 2026 Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award.

Last revised
Jun 24, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
694 w
Citations
16
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Call Me Izzy
2025 Broadway production poster
Written byJamie Wax
CharactersIzzy
Date premieredJune 12, 2025
Place premieredStudio 54, Broadway
Original languageEnglish
GenreDrama

Call Me Izzy is the debut stage play by American playwright Jamie Wax, which premiered on Broadway at Studio 54 in 2025, starring Jean Smart. The one-actor play follows a creative woman who hides her passion for writing from her abusive husband.1 For his writing, Wax was nominated for the 2026 Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award.2

Plot

The one-woman play follows Izzy, a creative writer in rural Louisiana hiding her passion for poetry from her abusive husband, forced to write on toilet paper in the bathroom with an eyebrow pencil. As she longs for freedom, she remarks on the cost of following your dreams and the barriers that prevent you from doing so.34

Production history

The play premiered on Broadway in 2025 as Wax's playwriting debut, with Sarna Lapine as director and Jean Smart in the lead role as Izzy.4 The production opened at Studio 54 on May 24, 2025, running through August 24, 2025 after an extension. The production received generally positive reviews, with praise for Smart's performance. The New York Times praised her performance as a "triumph" and the script as an effective blend of "old-fashioned floweriness and deep-dish pathos."5 Additionally Deadline lauded the production as "remarkable,"6 while The New York Post criticized it as "dull and unchallenging."7 Nonetheless, the production received two Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, for both Smart and Wax.8

On July 8, 2025, Smart sustained a knee injury that halted the production due to her inability to perform.9 Actress Johanna Day was announced to perform the role from July 8 through July 11,10 but the end date was later extended to July 18 for further recovery time. She would eventually return on July 22, 2025 and the production was extended through August 24, 2025.11

Cast and character

Character Broadway 20254
Izzy Jean Smart

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2026 Outer Critics Circle Award John Gassner Award Jamie Wax Nominated 121314
Outstanding Solo Performance Jean Smart Nominated
References

References

  1. "Call Me Izzy on Broadway – Story". Broadway.com. Retrieved June 6, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Schmigadoon!, Ragtime Win Big at 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards; Read the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  3. Fimmano, Austin (June 11, 2025). "'Call Me Izzy' Broadway review — Jean Smart is masterful in powerful solo play". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved June 6, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. Gans, Andrew (May 12, 2026). "Jamie Wax on 'Call Me Izzy,' the One-Woman Show He Built From a Lifetime of Talking to Strangers". Broadway.com. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  5. Green, Jesse (June 12, 2025). "Review: Jean Smart, Gritty and Poetic in 'Call Me Izzy'". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. Evans, Greg (June 12, 2025). "Jean Smart Welcomes In The New Broadway Season With The Remarkable 'Call Me Izzy' – Review". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 6, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. Oleksinski, Johnny (June 12, 2025). "'Call Me Izzy' review: Jean Smart's good, but Broadway play is a hack job". New York Post. Retrieved June 6, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "Outer Critics Circle Award 2026 Nominations". New York Theater. April 21, 2026. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  9. Abourizk, Michael (July 15, 2025). "Johanna Day will temporarily fill in for Jean Smart in 'Call Me Izzy'". Broadway News. Retrieved June 6, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. Evans, Greg (July 8, 2025). "Jean Smart Sidelined From Broadway's 'Call Me Izzy' Due To Knee Injury; Johanna Day To Fill In". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 6, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. Culwell-Block, Logan (July 15, 2025). "Update: Jean Smart Out of Call Me Izzy With Knee Injury; Johanna Day Starring Through July 18". Playbill. Retrieved June 6, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. "Outer Critics Circle Award 2026 Nominations". New York Theater. April 21, 2026. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  13. "Announcing the 2026 Outer Critics Circle winners: Full list". Broadway News. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  14. "Schmigadoon!, Ragtime Win Big at 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards; Read the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 11, 2026.