Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 2026)
ARTS ROCKETING AT OCT The Rocket Men, a drama with roles written for female actors, is part of a rolling premiere BY DOROTHY VELASCO T he Rocket Men, a new play now running at Oregon Contempo- rary Theatre, is truly a work in progress. Crystal Skillman’s drama about the invention of rockets designated for space travel after World War II was commis- sioned by two Alabama universities and performed at the Alabama Center for the Arts. It had additional development at the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis. Then it was selected for a prestigious National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere by four companies, including OCT as the third production. All of these developmental stages prove how diffi cult it is to create an orig- inal play that will entertain, inform and THE CAST OF THE ROCKET MEN WITH PLAYWRIGHT CRYSTAL SKILLMAN (CENTER). Photo by Bob Williams Photography even enlighten a wide audience. So yes, The Rocket Men is a work in progress that will continue to evolve. With luck, the long, slow fi rst act will be shortened. The subject is intriguing. After the war ended, the famous Nazi aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun and approx- imately 1,600 other German scientists and engineers were invited to settle in the U.S. and work for the government. Many of them eventually gained U.S. citizenship. Von Braun and his small team of outstanding scientists were headquar- tered in Huntsville, Alabama. According to the play, they were pleased with the lifestyle of the South. Skillman has said that the events depicted in the play are true, but the dialogue is invented. The action takes place in the team’s offi ce building, with an inner offi ce on a higher level for von Braun. Projections on a large screen show photos and news- reels that take us through time, but it would be helpful to show more dates. The set and projections are by Andrew Hungerford. Now, to give you something to ponder, the characters are males, but they’re played by women wearing men’s suits. Why? I’m not supposed to tell you. You’ll learn more at the end of the play. What I can say at this point is that the characters don’t seem very manly. These are experienced performers, but some seem to be caricatures and others are like working women worrying about neglecting their children. The OCT production is directed by Inga Wilson, with Erica Towe as assis- tant director/dramaturg. If ever a play needed a dramaturg, it’s this one. Prob- ably von Braun is the only character whose name most of us will recognize among the seven characters. Katie Worley Beck as von Braun somehow makes herself look like him with her proud carriage and clear sense of superiority. Kathleen Borrelli plays Heinz-Hermann Koelle, a former pilot who was never a Nazi, with warmth and intelligence. Melanie Moser gives researcher-engineer William Mrazek a sense of humor. Ruth Adele Mandsager is delightfully grumpy as Arthur Rudolph, developer of the rocket for the first Apollo fl ight. Hillary Ferguson, as engi- neer Helmut Hoelzer, laughs frequently. Zayne Clayton and Jessica Jae Unker are fi ne in smaller roles. Lighting design is by Michael Peter- son, costumes by Lilli Turner, hair and makeup by Laura Tuffl i, sound by Darian Soderquist/Chad Kushuba and proper- ties by Laura Leader. The reason Skillman chose to have women play all the roles is tied to a supposedly surprise ending revealing new information. It really isn’t a surprise. The information has been known and disseminated for decades. Neverthe- less, the play tackles diffi cult themes. What is forgivable? What is not? When are you allowed to turn a blind eye to evil deeds, or participate in such deeds? These are questions that could easily keep you awake at night. The Rocket Men is playing at Oregon Contemporary Theatre through Feb. 1, including Sunday matinees at 2 pm on Jan. 25 and Feb.1. Call 541-465-1506, or visit OCTheatre.org for tickets and information. The Garden Palette GARDENING NATIVE NEEDS Your backyard can be a certified haven for native species BY BARBARA BRYSON, CYNTHIA LAFFERTY AND KIM KELLY This month, we have two contributors to the Garden Palette — our native plant expert, Cynthia Laff erty from Doak Creek Natives and Barbara Bryson, manager of Habitat Haven in Eugene. — Kim Kelly W GREAT GOLDEN SAND DIGGER WASP ON GOLDENROD. Photo by Kim Kelly 12 January 22, 2026 inter greetings, fellow plant lovers. As our world lies mostly in dormancy, I have pondered over the native plant gardens around the nursery in the past year. I have noticed a general decline in native bees, bumble bees, butterfl ies, moths and insects in general. Our entire world is run on the littlest creatures: insects, butterfl ies, moths and bees that are in alarmingly low numbers. According to the research done by noted ento- mologist and author Doug Tallamay, it is recommended that we plant natives and focus on keystone native plants to your area. Keystone plants are those that evolved in a region to provide the highest amount of food source for insects, caterpillars, butterfl ies, moths and bees. In the upper canopy of trees, our native oaks provide the highest amount of habit, supporting more than 500 species — while cherries and willows are also very high in supporting valuable habitat. In the shrub layer of our canopy, some of the higher sources of habitat are the Oregon grape family (Mahonia), the Ceanothus family, Arctostaphylos family (manzanita/ kinnickinnick) and Oceanspray (Holodiscus). In the lower canopy, the fl owers supporting the most moths, butterfl ies, and pollinators are Helenium, checker- support.eugeneweekly.com
