War is hell. The warrior knows it. The warrior lives it. The warrior becomes it. In 1993, the United States Armed Forces lifted the Combat Exclusion Policy sending the first female fighter pilots into direct combat in the Iraq war. Playwright George Brant profiles one such trailblazing aviator in his play, Grounded.

Notably produced by the Public Theatre in 2015 under the direction of Julie Taymor with Anne Hathaway as the unnamed pilot, reviewers noted the impact of war on women pilots navigating the rigors of battle with the pull of family. They mused as to how aviation was turning quickly into “unmanned” technology – how drone wars would supplant the pilot all together.

The production will run October 7 - 16 at The Cell Theatre, home of FUSION Theatre Company for 20 years and now one of three stages on our expanded campus, 700-708 1st St. NW in downtown Albuquerque. Performances are Thursday and Fridays at 7 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm and 7pm, and Sundays at 3 pm.