Fastest Woman Alive

Jackie Cochran: first female pilot to break the sound barrier; ambitious individual in the face of prejudice and set-backs; woman suffering the nightmarish memory of her first child‘s death and subsequent repeat miscarriages. The facts make for an inspiring and moving story, and Pepperdine University’s theatre company seize on them energetically in Karen Sunde’s The Fastest Woman Alive. However, whilst the company’s interpretation of the play, their dramatic style and most performances are highly polished, the production is let down by a monotonous tendency. Pepperdine’s cast often shows itself as uniformly strong; the pacey action is full of committed performances. Lauren Randol is unfaultering in her presentation of the steely Cochran, and remains convincing at the moments where her character’s guard comes down. The fourteen-strong supporting cast are competent; they occupy the stage for the show’s duration, as focused in their joint role as attentive listening chorus as in their character roles. Haven Nutt stands out as Cochran’s mother and is memorable amongst the group of WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots). Josh Downs’ portrayal of Eisenhauer proves popular with the audience, and his other characters are clearly defined. There are a couple of weaker links though; Charlotte Ubben lacks commitment as Amelia Earhart, Cochran’s idol, and Morgan Bader’s portrayal of Floyd Odlum - Cochran’s supportive husband - is (perhaps inevitably) a little melodramatic when set against Randol’s cool Cochran.The execution of the piece is militaristic; blocking is forever tight and transitions between vignettes always certain. The cast’s discipline seems to highlight one of the play’s central claims: the WASPs’ failure to gain military status in the 1940s was not based on a lack of professionalism or discipline, merely prejudice. However, whilst the sharp style is impressive and necessary for the play’s pace, it can be overt at times, and throws into relief sections which aim to break away from the steely mood. The company tries too hard to create moods beyond this default, using acapella as a background to moving sections. Whilst appealing at first, the song later markedly indicates what we should be feeling at certain points - and we do not necessarily comply.Such bluntness is matched by the play’s examination of gender politics; the piece often seems to resort to an obvious divide between “goodie” determined women and the “baddie” men halting female domination, which can make characters appear two-dimensional. So, Pepperdine’s show is excellent in many respects, but both the cast and play sometimes march forward with so much gusto that things become relentless, and the genuinely moving details which certainly lie in both are masked.