• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Best Bets
  • Upcoming Shows
  • All Reviews
  • Bay Area Theatres
  • About Eddie
  • Contact
Theatre Eddys

Theatre Eddys

San Francisco Bay Area Theater Reviews

They Promised Her the Moon

March 9, 2020 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

Sarah Mitchell & Dan Hiatt

One was among the most successful racing pilots of her day and the first woman to break the sound barrier on May 18, 1953.  The other began flying at the age of twelve and by her twenties, was setting world records in flying speeds, distance, and altitude.  The former (Jackie Cochran) helped form and finance Mercury 13, a group of accomplished women flyers who underwent the same rigorous training as the original, all-male, and world-famous Mercury 7 astronauts.  The latter (Jerrie Cobb) bested all her male counterparts in the extreme conditions of a NASA-like isolation tank, ten hours to the most of any man, only four hours.  The men went into space; the world recordholder for tank-endurance, speed, distance, and altitude along with her twelve, female co-trainees did not.

Sarah Mitchell & Stacy Ross

What better way for me to celebrate International Women’s Day than to reflect and revel on the inspiring lives and stunning accomplishments of yet two more heroes of American history that have too long been overlooked and almost forgotten. The stories of Jackie Cochran and Jerrie Cobb are now being boldly told and triumphantly celebrated by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley in the Northern California premiere of Laurel Ollstein’s They Promised Her the Moon.  Returning to TheatreWorks after appearing in workshop form in the 2018 New Works Festival, They Promised Her the Moon focuses especially on the life of Jerrie Cobb, a woman who describes her joy of flying as “I hear myself breathing the same air as angel’s breathe … I am not lost … I just don’t want to be found.”

Sarah Mitchell

For my complete review, please continue to Talkin’ Broadway: https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/regional/sanjose/sj192.html.

Rating: 5 E

They Promised Her the Moon has closed due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo by Kevin Berne

 

Rating: 5 E Tags: TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, 5 E, Northern California Premiere

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

E-mail Newsletter

Sign up to receive reviews by email

Top 50 Theater Blogs
Eddie is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.

Theatre Eddys Ratings Legend

5 E's - Loved It
A classic, would see it a second time.
4 E's - Really Liked It
Excellent, strong production.
3 E's - Liked It
Good production but something is lacking or not clicking.
2 E's - Just OK
Below average but had at least one interesting component.
1 E - Did Not Like It
Waste of time.

Shows By Rating

  • 5 E (412)
  • 4.5 E (83)
  • 4 E (255)
  • 3.5 E (61)
  • 3 E (112)
  • 2.5 E (7)
  • 2 E (20)
  • 1.5 E (1)
  • 1 E (4)
  • Best Bet (158)
  • Not Rated (38)

Shows By Date

Tags

Musical5 Eworld premiereMUST SEE4 ETheatreWorks Silicon ValleySan Francisco PlayhouseNew Conservatory Theatre CenterPear TheatreBerkeley Repertory Company4.5 EMarin Theatre CompanyAmerican Conservatory TheatrePalo Alto PlayersShotgun PlayersAurora Theatre CompanyThe MarshHillbarn TheatreCity Lights Theater CompanyOregon Shakespeare Festival

Footer

About this site

Theatre Eddys reviews performances throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

About Eddie

Theatre Critic for the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, writing 150+ reviews annually for Theatre Eddys and Talkin' Broadway (San Jose/Silicon Valley). Read More

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2014–2025 Theatre Eddys. Website by Refactorr