Stonehill Theatre salutes forgotten women of WWII

By Kaya DeAn

“Decision height: the critical altitude at which point, in times of distress, a pilot must decide whether or not to land a plane or keep on flying.” 

The most recent play put on by the Stonehill Theatre Company, titled Decision Height, tells the story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of World War II.  

These women traveled to join the war effort from all over the United States, facing discrimination, doubt, and risking everything, with no promise of glory or recognition.  

They were the only branch of service in WWII not to receive military status during the war and were given veteran status over 30 years after the war ended.  

Junior Sarah Shea has been performing for 16 years, but returned from what she called a “substantial hiatus from acting” to be a part of Decision Height.  

“The show’s message called to me, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to jump back in.”  

Shea, who played the lead, Virginia Hascall, said that the all-female cast was what ultimately drew her to the show.  

“The idea of a piece so centered around the female gaze and giving voice to women’s history was incredibly exciting to me,” she said.  

She also said that having a show specifically designed for an all-female cast led to a special bond among the cast members.  

“The show is about the sisterhood the WASPs created with one another,” she said, “and it really felt like the same had happened for us in the cast.”  

Linnea Remillard, a senior cast member who played Alice Hawkins, said being part of the performance was one of her greatest memories at Stonehill. 

“This being my last show is already very emotional,” she said, “but the story of sisterhood that we told made it all the more special.”  

The show included a nine-woman cast and a 14-person crew. The crew consisted mostly of students, with four outside professionals to assist.  

The professional artists included director and technical director Tony Wallace-Light, artistic director and production manager Matthew Greene, set builder Colin Burns, and scenic painter Tricia McGrath.  

Many of the students on the crew held multiple roles, including senior stage manager and sound board operator Nathan Yurof.  

He called himself a “huge history nerd” and said he was very supportive of the choice to put on Decision Height.   

He commented on the challenge of building the set during the blizzard that closed campus for two days last week.  

"It was hard with timing to go and build all the tech stuff around the show,” he said, “the most rewarding part was getting it all done.”  

For Shea, she says the most rewarding part of the show was being able to bring light to women in our country’s history who are so often overlooked.  

The show ends with a salute as a radio broadcast plays, from the moment the WASPs were granted the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010.  

The director, Wallace-Light, told the cast to hold their salute with pride in their hearts.  

“Every night when I delivered my salute,” said Shea, “I held it thinking of the WASPs and the sacrifices they made for our country… being able to do something to honor those women was truly the most rewarding part.”  

She said she wants the audience to leave the performance with a new appreciation for the women in our country’s history. 

“Most importantly,” she said, “the joy of having something so wonderful in your life that you grieve it when it ends.” 

Wallace-Light describes the show as a story of courage, sacrifice, and sisterhood.  

“Our performance is in recognition of these women’s service and sacrifice,” he wrote in his director’s note in the program, “Specifically, in honor of the 38 female pilots who lost their lives.”