THE ROCKET MEN

by Crystal Skillman

The Rocket Men is planning a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere with The Phoenix Theatre (Artistic Director: Constance Macy) & Angels Theatre Company (Timothy W. Scholl) with our third theater to be announced. If you'd like more information, please write us.

"The Rocket Men" is a play about the former Nazis who sent us to the moon.
In this unique theatrical experience, we are carried through time in a blink of an eye to present the story of the German "Rocket Men" who used their scientific skills to flee Nazi Germany and settle in the most unlikely of places...North Alabama. These men form the backbone of NASA’s rocketry program. Told through the point of view of...

"The Rocket Men" is a play about the former Nazis who sent us to the moon.
In this unique theatrical experience, we are carried through time in a blink of an eye to present the story of the German "Rocket Men" who used their scientific skills to flee Nazi Germany and settle in the most unlikely of places...North Alabama. These men form the backbone of NASA’s rocketry program. Told through the point of view of Heinz- Hermann Koelle, a lesser-known young German rocketeer, who joined this "Operation Paperclip" team several years later, the play explores the dynamic relationship of Wernher von Braun and Koelle as these two have set their sights on space exploration and colonization beyond the moon. Still, as the play counts down to the launch of Apollo 11, Koelle is befriended by a Jewish engineer who is hell-bent on exposing the truth: the Germans' technology is based on the V-2 rockets built by slave labor. Koelle finds himself caught between his passion for making rockets (not to mention his need to stay in the country) and helping Sol expose this secret. But the clock to launch is ticking... Played by six female-identifying women who force us to theatrically re-examine this explosive story - still widely not known in America - for a purpose to be revealed by the night's end, “The Rocket Men” asks what it means “to be an American”. It shines a modern, unflinching light on this story, as NASA prepares to fly to the moon once more asking who gets to be remembered in the history books, and why.

  • Inquire About Rights
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Reading List

THE ROCKET MEN

Recommended by

  • Deborah Yarchun: THE ROCKET MEN

    A fascinating, theatrically innovative exploration of the complexities of history and the sometimes darker sides of technological advancements. Crystal’s play looks at a side of history few people know about and tackles it in a compelling way – truly worthy of a stage. I can’t wait to see a production of this play!

    A fascinating, theatrically innovative exploration of the complexities of history and the sometimes darker sides of technological advancements. Crystal’s play looks at a side of history few people know about and tackles it in a compelling way – truly worthy of a stage. I can’t wait to see a production of this play!

  • Kareem Fahmy: THE ROCKET MEN

    An utterly original look at a largely forgotten moment in history. Crystal expertly weaves together threads of science, war, compassion, and regret. Highly recommended.

    An utterly original look at a largely forgotten moment in history. Crystal expertly weaves together threads of science, war, compassion, and regret. Highly recommended.

  • Larry Bliss: THE ROCKET MEN

    I was drawn to The Rocket Men because of my fascination with America's manned spaceflight program, and stayed for its astonishing theatrics. Crystal's dialogue is razor-sharp and her stage directions project an engrossing spectacle that effortlessly pulls the audience through a complex history of political maneuvers and technical derring-do. The climax is shattering--and sobering.

    I was drawn to The Rocket Men because of my fascination with America's manned spaceflight program, and stayed for its astonishing theatrics. Crystal's dialogue is razor-sharp and her stage directions project an engrossing spectacle that effortlessly pulls the audience through a complex history of political maneuvers and technical derring-do. The climax is shattering--and sobering.

View all 11 recommendations

Development History

Production History

  • Type University, Organization Athens State University, Calhoon College , Year 2023

Awards

  • O'Neill Play Conference
    Semi-Finalist
    2024