Westport Country Playhouse, in conjunction with its production of “Grounded,” about a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who is grounded by an unexpected pregnancy, partnered with the Connecticut Women”™s Hall of Fame (CWHF) for “Women and War,” a multimedia presentation on July 14 in the Lucille Lortel White Barn Center, adjacent to the playhouse. It provided a sweeping history of women in warfare.
“Strong, courageous women have changed history,” said Kathryn Gloor, executive director of CWHF. “They have willingly risked their lives to defend our country and our communities for hundreds of years, but we all too seldom recognize their service.”
Among the Connecticut women featured in the presentation were three who are slated for induction into the CWHF on Nov. 9. They are: Army Capt. Kristen Griest, the first female infantry officer in the U.S. Army and one of the first two women ever to graduate from Army Ranger School; Major Regina Y. Rush-Kittle, a military and law enforcement trailblazer and the highest-ranking African-American woman to serve in the Connecticut State Police; and USAF Colonel Ruth A. Lucas (1920-2013), the first African-American woman to attain the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Air Force and an advocate for improved educational opportunities for service personnel.
“Grounded,” written by George Brant, earned a 2016 Lortel Award and a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Its run at Westport ends July 29. Playing the role of the pilot in the production is Elizabeth Stahlmann, a recent graduate of the Yale School of Drama. The director is Liz Diamond, chair of Yale School of Drama”™s directing department and resident director at Yale Repertory Theatre.
For more information and tickets, visit westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at 203-227-4177.
