The Hope College Department of Theatre will present Rachel Bublitz’s “Night Witches” on Feb. 20-21 and 26-28 at 7:30 p.m., along with 2 p.m. matinees on Feb. 21-22 and March 1. All performances will be held in the DeWitt Studio Theatre, located in the DeWitt Student & Cultural Center on Hope’s campus.
Guest-directed by Daina Robins — retired faculty member and professor emeritus of the department of theatre — “Night Witches” follows the 588th Russian Night Bomber Regiment, an all-women group of pilots and navigators, as they train their newest recruits to fly in combat missions against the Nazis. Nina and Vera, having just finished their training, are about to enter the battle for the first time, but as the opposing army shifts its tactics, their new skills will face the ultimate test. Based on real events, the Night Witches, nicknamed by the German armies, prevented their enemies from sleeping by dropping bombs on them every 15 minutes, using planes primarily made of wood and canvas. This script uses poetic language, song, and movement to celebrate women’s military service in WWII and beyond.
Speaking on the message of the production, as well as her directing process, Robins says, “Night Witches” portrays a historical story that touches upon a number of important contemporary themes — the camaraderie and empowerment of women, the complicated meaning and expression of patriotism, the deadly price of war. “As a nation, we are grappling with these issues today,” said Robins. “The production presents some challenging staging moments, such as how to convey and physicalize an airplane with minimal scenic elements. I’ve enjoyed the creative and collaborative process with the cast and student choreographer, Isabelle Park, as we explore and devise possibilities for these scenes. While I retired from the theatre department two years ago, it has been wonderful to return working with beloved colleagues and students, and meet new production members and students.”
While performances require a purchased ticket, all Sunday matinees are free to the public. The Saturday, Feb. 28 production will serve as “accessibility Saturday,” which features sensory-friendly light and sound design, live captioning and studio theatre FM hearing loop upon request.
About the Theatre Team
In addition to Robins, the college’s production team consists of Em Allen as guest scenic designer; Michelle Bombe – chair of the department – as costume design mentor; Ken Chamberlain – assistant director of production for dance and theatre – as sound designer; Eric Van Tassell – assistant professor of lighting and sound design – as lighting design mentor; Kevin MacLeod as guest props designer; Stephen Krebs – technical director for theatre – as technical director; and Anna Hill – theatre department costume manager and dance department costume designer – as costume shop manager.
Also serving on the production team are junior Naomi Whitfield as assistant scenic designer; senior Bethany Lawrence as costume designer; senior Deborah Van Iwaarden as lighting designer; junior Isabelle Park as choreographer; sophomore Sophia Richards of Dewitt, Mich., and senior Evelyn Lapadat of Elkhart, Ind., as assistant stage managers; senior Adeline Thalhammer of Swartz Creek, Mich., as stage management mentor; and first-year Clare Amidei of Palatine, Ill., as stage manager.
The cast includes first-year Annabelle DeVries of Hudsonville; sophomores Rilla Carpenter of Holland; Alexandria Gregor of Fishers, Ind., Maddie Johnson of Geneva, Ill., Leah Kamper of Holland; Hallie Machalka of Marshall, Mich. and Sophie Mazur-Batistoni of Lapeer, Mich.; junior Naomi Whitfield of Haverhill, Mass.; and seniors Ingrid Baker and Anya Kapitula of Grand Rapids; and Kate Lawrence of White Bear Lake, Minn.
Ticket Information
- Tickets are $15 for regular admission;
- $10 for senior citizens and Hope faculty and staff; and
- Free for Hope College students and other students ages 18 and under.
Tickets are available at the Events and Conferences Office located in downtown Holland in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The ticket office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be reached at 616-395-7890. Tickets may be purchased by calling or visiting the ticket office, online at hope.edu/tickets, or in person at the performance. Reserved tickets must be claimed ten minutes prior to performances in order to guarantee seating.
To reserve seats for the free Sunday matinees, please email theatre@hope.edu with the name/s and the number of seats to reserve.
The DeWitt Student & Cultural Center is located at 141 E 12th St., facing Columbia Avenue between 10th and 13th Streets.
Visit here to learn more about Hope’s final mainstage production scheduled for the 2025-26 season.