Imani Joseph as William A. Mrazek in Synchronicity Theatre’s upcoming world premiere of “The Rocket Men.” (Photo by Casey Gardner Ford)
The choice for a play to have an all-female cast is hardly unusual, but when the play is titled The Rocket Men, it captures attention. And playwright Crystal Skillman designed it that way.
“From the start, I want the audience to be confronted with the fact that those actors don’t look anything like the [male] figures in history they are playing,” Skillman said, hinting audiences will understand the reason behind the casting by the end.
Making its premiere at Synchronicity Theatre October 10 through November 2, The Rocket Men tells the true story of Wernher von Braun and the other former Nazi scientists who started America’s space program. It presents a compelling historical drama while grappling with questions of morality, ethics and complicity.
“The American government brought [the scientists] to the United States, but it was very sanitized,” said Synchronicity Theatre co-founder Rachel May. “It was not mentioned that they were Nazis. They never had to answer, explain or apologize for some of the atrocities they oversaw during World War II.”
Helming The Rocket Men as director, May is the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. To say this story is personal to her is an understatement.
“My grandfather was Yugoslavian, and he was Jewish,” May shared. “Interestingly, he was also an engineer [like many characters] in this play. So he was not taken until toward the end of the war.” Though repeatedly passed over for concentration camps because his engineering skills could be used elsewhere, May’s grandfather ended up in Bergen-Belsen, known for being where Anne Frank died.
As soon as she read the play, May knew it was a no-brainer for Synchronicity Theatre’s mission to uplift women’s voices and spark discussion. For many performances, the theater offers community conversations for audiences, and The Rocket Men is no exception.
“We’re doing three pre-show talks with different partners who are talking about the history, the ethical implications and different aspects of the show,” May said. The Synchronicity team has even built an interactive research website to help audiences dive deeper and aid future theaters that produce the play.
Skillman wrote The Rocket Men after visiting the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where she found a book that ignited her interest in the layers of stories behind the modern space program.
“I found that America wants to be ‘the good guys’ but, like any country, is willing to sacrifice that to the point where what the truth actually is becomes lost,” Skillman said. “As the play counts down, the audience experiences the haunting cost of these scientific advancements as the play asks viewers to consider whose names are remembered in history and why.”
The Rocket Men is part of the National New Play Network’s Rolling World Premiere program, which stages previously unproduced plays as full productions at multiple theaters across the country. Each has different directors, designers and casts who collaborate with the playwright to create a unique version.
“The idea of a ‘roll’ is that it will continue to evolve as it goes,” said May. The first of three companies premiering The Rocket Men recently concluded its run, with Synchronicity’s production being second. A third is scheduled for February.
One of many differences between the first two productions is that Phoenix Theatre had a cast of seven while Synchronicity has chosen to cast six. “There is meaning in double casting one member of the ensemble, but the play is also impactful in a different way with seven,” Skillman said.
The story takes place in Alabama in the 1950s, and Skillman felt it’s significant to have a Southern theater included in the “roll.”
“It examines the complexity of the birth of NASA in the South and those surrounding politics of the time,” she said. “It’s really important to have it done here.”
But as heavy as it might sound, May wants to assure theatergoers the show is not all doom and gloom.
“There’s some theatricality and fun as well,” she said, adding that the scenic design incorporates historical audio clips and images. “I love plays that draw from history, and this is sort of ‘documentary theater meets magical realism.’ And it’s 1950s men in an office trying to get to Mars, so it has that delicious Mad Men-esque thing going on.”
A resident of New York City, Skillman is in Atlanta for the week leading up to opening night and said she’s been looking forward to returning to her favorite places and soaking up the arts vibes in Atlanta.
“[Atlanta has] a really strong mix of the arts with music, visual and performance art that is beautiful,” she said. “As much as I’m surrounded by terrific culture in New York, Atlanta’s vibe is so distinct, and I feel like I have great new theater ideas when I’m out there.”
Where & When
The Rocket Men is at Synchronicity Theatre at Peachtree Pointe, October 10 through November 2. Tickets range from $10 to $45.
1545 Peachtree St. NE., Ste. 102
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Sally Fuller is a theater nerd and journalist with a passion for telling people’s stories. Her work has appeared in Encore Atlanta, City Lifestyle Magazine and the AJC, among others. When not writing, she works at her dream job as a mother alongside the best husband and father in the world.
