Dear fellow Ratonians,
You’d think I’d learn. I tell myself, No more solo shows, no more poets having a breakdown under a single spotlight. And yet—like a moth to the flame of downtown despair—I found myself once again slumped in a folding chair, watching one person unravel.
Only this time... it was Jean f***ing Smart.
Yes, that Jean Smart. Queen of sardonic timing. Empress of the eyeroll. Our Hacks matriarch stepped onto the stage and proceeded to blow the roof off with something I can only describe as a slow-motion emotional detonation.
Intrigued? I thought you might be. Keep reading for the full review, where I try (and probably fail) to capture what happens when a legend lets herself come undone in front of us.
THE RAT’S RECOMMENDATION:
“Call me Izzy”
Cheese Score: 🧀🧀🧀🧀(4/5)
Description:
"Call Me Izzy" is a darkly comedic one‑woman Broadway play starring Jean Smart as a resilient Louisiana woman who uses secret poetry to escape her abusive marriage and refuses to be silenced
Why should you care?
Narrative Tension That Snowballs – The show builds like a quiet avalanche. What starts as awkward and intimate slowly intensifies, growing darker, sharper, and more unbearable in the best way. The discomfort isn’t accidental—it’s weaponized.
Jean Smart Is Spellbinding – At 73 years old, Smart is electrifying. She’s playful one moment, volcanic the next—roaring, whispering, dancing between heartbreak and humor. Bringing tenderness and terror in equal measure.
Poetry as Resistance – At its core, this is a play about language as survival. It asks how we construct inner lives under pressure, how love can turn to prison, and what it means to turn scribbled words into acts of courage. It’s intimate, lyrical, and quietly revolutionary.
Who to Bring – Bring someone who knows what it feels like to swallow their voice for too long. Someone who’s clawed their way out of a toxic love story, or still writes unsent letters in the Notes app. This play is about reclaiming your power with blood, poetry, and rage—so don’t bring anyone who’s ever said “you’re overreacting.”
Have you seen it? What's your rating?
Until next week, keep it dramatic, keep it ratty, and always aim for center stage! 🐀✨.
P.S. Thanks for being part of this weird rat family. Please reply to this email and let us rats know how we are doing?
With lots of Ratitude,
The Stage Rat