By Hannah Schultz, Features Editor
“In 1943, all of America was focused on one thing: WWII. Six hopeful young pilots from all across the United States have made their way to Avenger Fields, the training grounds for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), in hopes of supporting the war effort. But becoming a WASP will take more than just knowing how to fly; in order to attain their dreams, the girls must learn to work together. The stakes are high, and tensions are higher. Will the women be able not only to survive, but to thrive and to overcome their vast personal prejudices to fulfill their potential as WASPs?”
For those involved, “Decision Height” has been an opportunity to enjoy theatre with a community of individuals who are passionate about their craft. “Some of the best moments for me have been during our warm-ups for rehearsals,” said senior Leticia Julian, who plays Virginia in the play. “We’ve done an improv game where we explored the physicality of different socioeconomic classes, we’ve danced around the theatre to different songs to explore the moods they create and we’ve played Follow-the-Leader like we did in elementary school; and I’ve loved it all. Each exercise has pushed us to be a little ridiculous and have fun, and they’ve helped us to draw closer as a cast. And that’s really the best part of theatre: creating a community within a cast and crew that can have fun together and tell a story that we all believe in.”
Sophomore Delaney Hart, who plays the character of Rosalie, praises the play’s creativity in telling a story that needs to be heard. “My favorite part about ‘Decision Height’ is the ‘flying,’” said Hart. “The crew was really creative with how they decided to portray that very important aspect of the play.”
the show is infectious, the characters are endearing, the theme is striking and the conclusion is poignant
“I think the play is important to see because it gives us a glimpse into the life of women during WWII,” said Hart. “Women were still considered inferior to men, and ‘Decision Height’ shows the struggle between trying to fit into the cultural norms and trying to be independent, and, in some cases, trying to draw a compromise between the two. Each woman in the show has her own story and her own reason for wanting to fly. Similarly, each had a reason to stay home as well. Watching the conflict inside each woman throughout the play has been the most intriguing aspect for me.”
For Julian, “Decision Height’s” themes are particularly striking for college students. “One of the major themes that our director, Allison Acuff, is really wanting to highlight in Decision Height, is the idea of pursuing your potential,” she said. “I think that’s something so important for us all to hear, especially those of us who are in college. As we look to the terrifying future of pursuing our dreams, I think that this play serves as a great reminder to push hard to be the best that you can be, even if it seems impossible.”
“To me,” said Hart, “the show is infectious, the characters are endearing, the theme is striking and the conclusion is poignant.”