By Emilie Minshew
Take a flight back in time to the Second World War and spend an evening at YouTheatre’s The Night Witches at the 2019 Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival. Written by emerging playwright Rachel Bublitz and directed by Alexandra Harbold, The Night Witches tells the harrowing story of an all-female cohort of Soviet fighter pilots.
The approximately 45-minute production is an atmospheric delight, with the jarring mood of war fashioned using the sounds of the actresses, minimal sound design by Hyrum Summerhays, and immersive lighting design by Peter Mayhew. The costumes by Candace Summerhays set the scene for a group of young and hopeful Russian soldiers as they prepare for a night’s flight through the war-ridden skies.
The play demonstrates the complexities of being a female soldier through use of witty dialogue and emotional cast interactions. Actresses Chelsea Cowley, Katherine Ward, E Romero, Karina Barker, Amanda Rossi, Kat Moss, Laura Fryer, Isabella Andrews, and Keegan Fitlow give life to this historical tale by producing the wings and engine of a Soviet fighter plane through the clever arrangement of their bodies and a very minimal set. The small cast of 9 may be young, but they command the stage with an impressive momentum. The audience subconsciously strained forward to mirror the intensive physicality of the actresses until the ultimate release of tension at the conclusion of the show. I left feeling utterly haunted as the cast joined hands to sing a final song to Mother Russia. The Night Witches is an accessible historical delight that will leave you breathless from the harsh realities of war.
Egyptian YouTheatre presents The Night Witches by Rachel Bublitz
The Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival, The Gateway, 400 W 100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
August 3-11, 2019, showtimes vary (see festival website for details)
Get Tickets: $10 + $5 festival entrance stamp
Egyptian YouTheatre Facebook Page
The Night Witches Facebook Page
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