THE ROCKET MEN w/PHOENIX THEATRE (NNPN CORE MEMBER) F 2025 - SEEKING PARTNERS FOR ROLL byCrystal Skillman
"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 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.
Recommend
Download
Save to Reading List
THE ROCKET MEN w/PHOENIX THEATRE (NNPN CORE MEMBER) F 2025 - SEEKING PARTNERS FOR ROLL
Recommended by
Kareem Fahmy:
21 Apr. 2024
“
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:
2 Jan. 2024
“
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. ”
Sasha Aronson:
27 Nov. 2023
“
This play has great breadth and depth. Crystal's writing is skillful as always. The work leaves me thinking about masculinity, capitalism, labor, visionariness. It's black and white and also vivid at the same time. ”
These six roles are to be played by female-identifying and non-binary actors who step into their roles. Casting should reflect a diversity of race, ethnic background, physical type, and ability. The character list notes their ages in history, but you don't need to match that age; they can be cast younger, as each actor steps into their role. This casting reflects an examination of the history and asks in history whose names are remembered? Why?
This new play was originally commissioned, developed, and performed by Athens State University and Calhoun Community College for the Alabama Center for the Arts.