In 1937, fifteen-year-old Betty Klenck is struggling with her sense of identity. Bullied in school for being “different natured from everyone else,” she finds solace in the person of Amelia Earhart and the possibilities she offers to the future of young women. When Betty’s mother dies, she sinks into depression. Her father, desperate for a way to help her, sets up a short-wave radio in her room. At night, Betty finds solace imagining the far away voices scrambled with static belong to her mother. When Betty hears Amelia Earhart’s distress signal on the night of her fateful last flight, she persuades her father to alert the authorities. But who will take a 15-year-old girl seriously?

Based on a true story, this five-hander musical explores the unique way our lives intertwine and how the courage of others can influence our lives. When an awkward, bullied 15-year old Betty Klenck hears her hero Amelia Earhart’s distress signal on July 2, 1937, she becomes the last person to hear Amelia Earhart alive.

Originally written as a play in monologue for a writing workshop at the Shaw Festival in 2007, it suddenly occurred to me that the material might be best suited for an intimate musical / song cycle. I approached Scott Christian about collaborating (something we have wanted to do for a long time), and we began working on this piece about women, courage, influence and the intersection of our lives. 

I am intensely committed to giving voice to women of all ages and backgrounds. When I first came across this story, my interest was immediately peaked for a variety of reasons. As someone who lost her mother at the same age, I was interested in the healing process Betty goes through and the complicated issues surrounding loss, especially for someone inherently introverted. I have always been interested in Amelia Earhart as a role-model but was particularly interested in exploring her influence on young women through the eyes of a fifteen-year-old. In the 1930s, flying remained an avenue for women, but many were overlooked and rarely encouraged captains' positions on commercial and military aircraft. I thought the idea of what inspires people to do things outside of the ordinary would be an interesting subject matter to explore against the backdrop of poverty, prejudice, and preconceptions.