Review: THEY PROMISED HER THE MOON at The Players At The Barker Playhouse

The Players at the Barker Playhouse kick off their 106th season with Laurel Ollstein’s compelling historical drama, “They Promised Her the Moon,” the untold true story of Jerrie Cobb, an accomplished pilot and aspiring astronaut who dreamt of visiting outer space at a time when women in aviation were an anomaly.

Played with earnest eloquence by Lydia Johnson, Jerrie always wanted to fly, even as a little girl growing up in Oklahoma. Her ex-pilot father, Harvey (a composed Charlie Sweigart), encourages her to soar up in the sky, much to the chagrin of her Bible-toting mother, Helena (Marcia A. Layden, delightfully devout), who wants her daughter to find a husband and settle down.

The audience first meets Jerrie as a young woman undergoing intense isolation and flotation endurance exercises, administered by Dr. Randolph Lovelace (Terry Shea), a scientist who helps her and a dozen other females (The Mercury 13) prove they are as capable of traveling to the moon as their male counterparts. Footing the bill for this experiment is the decorated, renowned Jackie Cochran (Nancy Winokoor), the first woman pilot to break the sound barrier.

Jerrie’s long-held desire essentially comes true when she meets Jack Ford (a suave, persuasive Ian Hudgins), the owner of an airline who hires her as a shuttle pilot. After her career takes off and she breaks world records, Jerrie rightfully has her sights set on the moon, but even her face on the cover of LIFE magazine is seemingly not enough to cement her status as the first female astronaut—and with no help from Jackie.

Winokoor delivers an exceptional performance as the fiery, unapologetically pompous Jackie. Surprisingly, Jackie’s dynamic with Jerrie more closely resembles that of a rivalry rather than a sisterhood, despite the discrimination and misogyny they both experience. Winokoor’s grand stage presence is matched when she spars with Shea, and the catty interplay between them makes for some of the show’s finest moments. Shea’s portrayal of Dr. Lovelace is forceful yet sensitive and remarkably genuine.

The script routinely bounces back and forth between time periods, and the cast proves they are up to the challenge. The lighting (Hudgins, Maria Venturelli) and sound (Andrew Zukowski) are effective, memorable, and especially complement the quiet, pensive moments of Johnson’s performance.

If you have never heard of these women or the Mercury 13 before, director Katie Preston professes that you are not alone, and that this production is the Playhouse’s effort to give these groundbreaking women their due and rectify their omission from the textbooks of American history. While Cobb’s life, both up in the air and on the ground, is at the forefront—and therefore, the heart—of this play, Cochran’s accomplishments are equally noteworthy, and Preston’s diligent treatment of their narratives is impressive and profound.

“They Promised Her the Moon” runs through October 6th at the Barker Playhouse, 400 Benefit Street in Providence. For tickets and information, call 401-273-0590 or visit https://www.playersri.org/

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