October 6, 2023 / News Release
DEKALB, ILL, October 6, 2023 – Based on a true World War II story, The Night Witches, Stage Coach Players October production, tells how an all-female regiment of pilots helped the Allied forces turn the tide of war against Hitler’s Nazi army. They did this both at great risk to their families and with much fewer resources than their male counterparts. The Night Witches, directed by Leigh Foulk, opens October 19, 2023 and will run for two weekends. The production is sponsored by Jerry and Annette Johns and George and Ginny Ziders.
A relatively new play, The Night Witches had its world premiere in 2019 at the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival. It was written by Rachel Bublitz and is based on the heroic activity of the Soviet 588th Night Bomber Regiment. This is Foulk’s first time directing. The drama follows the regiment, most specifically Nina and Vera, who have just finished their training as navigators. The two women are preparing for their first night of combat missions.
As the play opens, the women are preparing for the nights’ missions. Each pilot and navigator duo would make multiple missions a night, sometimes up to 18. Nerves and tensions run high, especially for the newer members of the regiment as Zoya, their commander arrives to offer encouragement and provide inspiration to the group of women.
The women know what they are to do is incredibly difficult. Not only are the conditions where they perform their flights risky, the women do so with equipment that is sub-standard to the equipment their male counterparts use. For example, they were given out-of-date biplanes that had been primarily used as crop dusters and training planes. Some of the Night Witches likened them to “a coffin with wings” because the plane was made of plywood with canvas stretched over it.
The women of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment form a bond not only with their challenging task in helping the Allied forces defeat the Nazi army, but also that are doing so to protect their homes and families. These women risked everything when they joined and did so with honor. As they pass time awaiting their flight, they talk of their families, they train, they sing, and they also embroider.
The women the characters of the play are based upon made such a huge impact with little in the way of resources. “These women were amazing,” director Foulk said. “When Russia was invaded by Nazi Germany, they petitioned their government for the right to go to war for their country.” She added that by the end of the war, the women portrayed in The Night Witches became one of the most decorated regiments of the Second World War.
McClane replied that the women of the 588th regiment were discriminated against and viewed with little to no respect by their male counterparts, and yet became some of the most feared and famous. “It has been so fabulous to be working with this cast of strong women,” she stated, adding. “Though things have come a long way, women still struggle to be accepted and respected as equal to men in many ways. Often, women must work harder to prove themselves.”
“Women have often been undervalued, and even in 2023, it’s good to remember all that we are capable of doing, and to answer the call to fight for what we believe in,” Fontana said.
The cast includes Alexis Barkman (The Crucible) as Nina, Lacey Toigo (Clue: On Stage) as Serafima, Michele McClane (Clue: On Stage) as Tatyana, and Nina Fontana (Nickel & Dimed) as Zoya. Jay Jarvis will play Vera and Judi Harvin will play Polina. Both are making their Stage Coach Players debut. Adriana Aumann-Weyenberg, Jessie Ellis, Kelsey Hoyle, Dorcas Keating, Amelia McClane, Emelie Walton, Mandy Wescott round out the ensemble cast.
Performances for The Night Witches are October 19 – 21, 2023 and October 27 – 28, 2023 with a curtain time of 7:30 p.m. along with a Sunday matinee on October 22, 2023 and a Saturday matinee on October 28, 2023 with a curtain time of 2:00. Note that there will not be a second Sunday matinee performance for The Night Witches due to Pumpkin Fest. Tickets are $15 each or $13 for seniors and children aged 13 and under. Tickets are currently on sale through the box office phone at 815-758-1940. To purchase tickets, visit our online website at www.stagecoachplayers.com. You can also call the SCP box office at 815-758-1940. The box office will open Sunday, October 15, 2023.
Thank you for being understanding as SCP navigates COVID-19 guidelines. For this production, masks are not required. If the state of Illinois guidelines change, our guidelines will change also. Thank you for helping us keep our patrons, cast and crew safe.