Being the luck that I am, and having won a flex pass for this year's Bay Area Playwrights Festival I saw a staged reading of “Grounded” by George Brant last night. It was so incredibly good. It's about a female fighter pilot who gets taken off the front lines and is forced to “fly” drone planes in Afghanistan. Mollie Stickney plays the pilot in this one person play (not a one person show) is captivating and holds your attention for the entire 90 minute show.
The script also weaves it's way beautifully through this woman's life. The imagery in the text is beautiful, and I found myself relating to the character with all of her turns and twists. The play is wonderfully current and brings aspects of the war in Afghanistan to light that most of the audience, including myself, were completely unaware of.
This is not a show to be missed. There is one more reading on July 29 (next Sunday), 2012 at 3pm. This was by far the best solo performance that I've ever seen live. Check it!