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Crystal Skillman's play The Rocket Men will receive a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere later this season.

The rolling premiere structure means that the play will receive premiere stagings at three different theatres in the 2025-2026 season, introducing it widely across the American theatre market. The Rocket Men will play the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana September 4-21; Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia October 9-November 2; and Angels Theatre Company in Lincoln, Nebraska March 12-22, 2026.

Angels Executive Artistic Director Timothy W. Scholl will direct the Nebraska and Indiana runs, and Synchronicity Theatre Artistic Director Rachel May will direct the Georgia staging. The Indiana bow will feature Paige Elisse, Constance Macy, Jennifer Johansen, Milicent Wright, Jolene Mentink Moffatt, Jaddy Cuici, and Bibi Heredia, along with set design by Robert M. Koharchik, lighting design by Laura Glover, projection design by Katie Phelan Mayfield, costume design by Anthony James Sirk, and sound design by Jason Tuttle. The Georgia staging will star Laura Edwards Boston, Amelia Fischer, Imani Joseph, Gillian Rabin, Suzanne Roush, and Vallea E. Woodbury, with set design by Gabrielle Stephenson, prop design by Tierney Breedlove, costume design by Hollis Smith, projection design by Amanda Sachtleben, and lighting design by Elisabeth Cooper. Casting and further creative team members for the Nebraska bow are to be announced

The Rocket Men shares the story of the former Nazis who used their scientific skills to flee Germany and settle in North Alabama, becoming the backbone of what we know today as the American Space Program. As the play counts down, the audience experiences the haunting cost of their scientific advancements as the play asks viewers to consider whose names are remembered in history, and why.

鈥淎fter reading an early draft of The Rocket Men, I was drawn in by the historical component and even more compelled by the fact that the play is written for female-presenting actors,鈥� said Constance Macy, artistic director of Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre in a statement. 鈥淲hen I became the artistic director of the Phoenix, one of my goals as a former full-time actor was to create more opportunities for women onstage. Crystal has beautifully captured a moment in history and presents it to us so theatrically and with nuance and care.鈥�

鈥淐rystal is an extraordinary playwright who listens carefully to feedback and creates a wonderful theatrical story full of the kinds of distancing effects that make this type of drama really powerful,鈥� adds Timothy W. Scholl, executive artistic director of Angels Theatre Company. 鈥淚 am so privileged to be able to have two opportunities to direct this play with two different casts in two different cities. This is a first for me and I think it is a wonderful opportunity for us to really develop and make The Rocket Men the best play it can be. Tracking the plays progress and changes through its rolling World Premiere will be one of the most exciting projects of my career. 鈥�

鈥淢y grandfather was Jewish, and ultimately was taken to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. He survived until the end of the war, and lived a long and wonderful life, but the legacy of this time has imprinted our family,鈥� says Rachel May, artistic director of Synchronicity Theatre. 鈥滻 am fascinated and compelled by the stories of this time that were told, and untold. When I read Crystal鈥檚 play I was riveted, and inspired to help unearth the buried voices of Dora and bring them to light. Synchronicity exists to uplift the voices of women and girls, and to build community, and we are honored to partner with Crystal and National New Play Network partner theatres鈥擜ngels and Phoenix鈥攖o share this powerful story with our audiences in Atlanta and across the country.鈥�

Over the last 25 years, The National New Play Network has provided millions of dollars in funding toward its mission supporting the next generation of new play development through decentralized, dynamic, and collaborative efforts along a pipeline for regional theatres. 

For more information about each of the rolling premiere productions, visit .