The world premiere of “Falcon Girls” opens this week at the Yale Repertory Theater

Luciana Varkevisser

11:11 pm, Oct 14, 2024

Staff Reporter

Courtesy of Pepi Kokab

On Oct. 10, viewers were able to see the world premiere of “Falcon Girls” at the Yale Repertory Theater. For those who haven’t seen it yet, the production is set to run until Nov. 2. 

Taking place in rural Colorado, the memoir by Hilary Bettis explores the highs and lows of being a middle-school girl in the 90s. The comedy and drama-infused play centers on the universal experience of “otherness” through the medium of a highly specific story: a group of girls, nicknamed the “Falcon Girls,” competing in a Future Farmers of America, or FFA, horse judging competition. The play also deals with experiences of sexual assault, the difficulties of being mixed race and the tumultuous nature of mother-daughter relationships.

“It is a show about kids that are invisible,” said playwright Hilary Bettis. “And yet they continue to fight for their friendships, to fight for this thing that they’re really passionate about, and to find their integrity and dignity in a world where people say teenage girls don’t matter.”

The piece was brought to the Rep by Amy Boratko MFA ’06, senior artistic producer at the Yale Repertory Theater. While traveling the country to see new plays in workshops and festivals, Boratko stumbled upon a reading of this work at the Alley Theater Workshop. 

Upon its discovery, the play was then workshopped and sponsored by the Binger Center for New Theater — a branch of the Yale Rep and Drama School that offers financial and developmental support to stage productions.

“[What is] extraordinary about producing or going to see a world premiere is that something is being made where there was nothing,” said James Bundy, artistic director at the Yale Rep. 

The play’s residency at the Yale Repertory Theater will be the first time it is performed on stage with actors and for an audience. The show is directed by May Adrales MFA ’06, who has directed about 30 world premieres throughout her career.

Adrales was drawn to Bettis’ work for the skill and intimacy that she incorporates into the story. The director said that she also felt especially connected to the piece due to her own experiences of growing up in a rural area in the 90s.

Despite the specificity of the play, Adrales feels that any audience member can find a way to relate to the work. “Falcon Girls” deals with a loneliness that many others have related to at some point in their lives. 

“If you’ve ever felt ‘other’ in any situation, or have felt shame about where you come from and what made you who you are, this play validates that your life experiences — where you are, who you come from, the experiences that shaped you — are vitally important to creating the unique, beautiful person that you are,” said Adrales. 

Whether it’s dancing alone to Salt’n’Peppa, getting in petty arguments with parents or feeling irrevocably out of place in the world, there is something in each of the falcon girls that audiences can relate to. 

Amidst tears of laughter and sadness, viewers may find parts of themselves exposed bare through the story’s visceral intimacy and vulnerability.  

The Binger Center for New Theater was founded in 2008.