From The Northwest School
Original play returns from 10-day tour in England; local WWII veterans expected to be in audience

Seattle, WA – Crates of Thunder, an original play written by professional director and playwright Laura Ferri and performed by a cast of Northwest School high school students, will be performed this Friday, April 29th, at 7 p.m. in The Northwest School’s 401 Pike Theatre. Several of the veterans and others whose life experiences are woven into the play are expected to be in the audience. A Q&A will follow the performance.

The play, fresh from a successful ten-day tour in England where it was featured in the re-opening ceremony of the American Air Museum (AAM) in Cambridge, looks at WWII through the lens of the war plane. It tells the story of the American Eighth Army Air Force in England, who flew the Boeing-built B-17, and their interactions with the British people and the Royal Air Force during WWII, as well as workers on the American home-front who built and ferried the planes across the country.

More a form of living documentary theater than a play with an A to Z plot arc, the play contains many scenes derived from the real life experiences of local WWII veterans and others who lived through the war. The play features stories drawn from oral histories conducted by NWS students, as well as other research, material drawn from historical visits in England, and transcripts and artifacts housed at the AAM and other museums.

Of special note is a scene written by cast member and Northwest School student Frank Garland, award-winning young playwright, who created it with the support of Hollywood screenwriter and Battle of the Bulge veteran Stewart Stern. The scene, one of the most moving of the play, features a poem written by Stern during his service, entitled “We Were Three.” Stern was in the audience at a Raisbeck Aviation High School performance last year and stood afterward to express his deep appreciation for all the play addressed. Said Stern: “This should be performed forever.”

The Northwest School is an independent, day and boarding college preparatory school, serving 500 students in grades 6-12. Founded in 1980, it is the only co-ed boarding school in Seattle, with fifteen percent of its students coming from countries around the world. Its interdisciplinary curriculum of humanities, arts, and sciences prepares students to think critically, act compassionately, and make a positive impact on the world. For more information, visit www.northwestschool.org.