The success of the "Trip To Bountiful" telecast led its writer Horton Foote to expand his original script for a Broadway production headlined by Lillian Gish. Will Hare, Frank Overton and Eva Marie Saint also reprised their telecast roles onstage. Eileen Heckart already playing Broadway in William Inge's '''Picnic'', Jessie Mae was played onstage by Jo Van Fleet (whose performance would earn a Tony Award). Also Gene Lyons played Ludie onstage replacing the telecast's John Beal (after Beal and director Fred Coe disputed whether Ludi should be toupeed). Opening at Henry Miller's Theater on November 1953 the staged version was a high profile flop with a one month run comprising 39 performances. Foote would attribute his play's Broadway failure to 20,000,000 people having already seen ''Trip to Bountiful'' on television.
Jo Van Fleet won the 1954 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Features Actress in a Drama for "The Trip to Bountiful" for her portrayal of Jessie Mae Watts.
Lillian Gish was offered the role of Carrie Watts after Shirley Booth's intended casting choice Horton Foote declined, not wishing to play an elderly role at her age which Booth claimed was 45. Booth was in fact then aged 55, five years Gish's junior.
Lillian Gish asked Horton Foote if as Carrie Watts she could instead of the 91st Psalm recite the iconic 23rd Psalm. Foote could not approve the switch as the plot demanded Carrie's reciting a Psalm which pleads for protection.