Fire/Fight/Her: A staged reading of a new musical by Amanda Wansa Morgan, Cristin Hubbard Miller, and Amy Bannister 

This collaboration is occurring between writers Amanda Wansa Morgan, composer based in Atlanta; Cristin Hubbard Miller, multi-hyphenate theatre artist based in Seattle; and Amy Bannister, Deputy Chief of Seattle Fire and originator of this story. Our original musical follows Firefighter Kat West on her journey through recruit school, her first years on the job; working her way up the ranks; and battling the challenges of being a firefighter…who is a woman. Loosely based on the life and career of Chief Bannister, our show takes an inside look at firefighter culture both in terms of the logistics of the job, the relationships between these heroic first responders, and the toll it takes on their mental and physical health. Join Kat and the rest of her comrades as they navigate the murky waters of finding their places within the culture of the firehouse, despite their differences, as they each seek the courage to belong.  

We have been granted theater space at Aurora Theatre and Synchronicity Theatre to present two staged readings of our piece. Atlanta is where one of our writers – Amanda – is based. This gives us the opportunity to share our revisions and test out the material with another audience. It also gives us the opportunity to create demo recordings with Atlanta actors who work with Amanda regularly, which we will share as the piece progresses towards future workshops, submissions to festivals, and theaters around the country for a world premiere production. 

Directed by Bethany Irby Okie 
Dramaturg: Karen Robinson 
Production Assistant: Alanna Gordon 
Assistant Music Director: John Lumapas 

Featuring: Rhyn McLemore, Christy Baggett, Lydia Eku, Jessica Hilliard, Kamryn Jones, Ellie Roth, Timothy Ellis, Lamont Hill, Taylor Buice, Koby Parker, and Sully Brown.