Jessica Wortham in ‘Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End’ at Actors Theatre of Louisville.
Actors Theatre of Louisville has quickly pivoted to harness emerging technologies and create entirely new works during the COVID era. The Tony Award-winning theater’s January line-up includes a much-needed laugh with a tribute to iconic humorist Erma Bombeck.
Allison Engel and Margaret Engel penned the one-woman show, which stars Jessica Wortham (who also served as line producer) and is directed by executive artistic director Robert Barry Fleming.
The play premiered at Arena Stage in 2015. This adaptation took meticulous planning, catapulting the actor into a multi-faceted role that few could have expected pre-pandemic.
“On some level, I think it forced me to think like a director,” Wortham said in an interview with ATL. “I had to pay attention to how the light behaves in my house, and I had to think about how to frame myself in the space that I live in—and you know, you never think about that kind of stuff in your own home! Of course, Robert was able to help with all that through Zoom.”
Fleming and Wortham chatted about their “behind the screens” process:
Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End streams through January 28, tickets from $15.
