New debut production tells the powerful, untold story of African American nurses during World War II

By Nicole Sousa

      LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — Fort Huachuca: A Tale of Sisterhood, Patriotism, and Race is a debut production written by emerging actress and playwright Ailema Sousa and directed by Amen Igbinosun. A play set in Arizona on an army base camp, the story focuses on the contributions and sacrifices made by the African American Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC’s) during World War II.

Ailema, who is a British native, developed the concept two years ago after failing to find a film or play about World War II that featured Black women as main or supporting characters in a narrative.

After doing some extensive research, she then discovered the pivotal and influential contributions that African American women made during that time. With the success of stories and films such as Hidden Figures and more recently Black Panther, she felt that a story like Fort Huachuca is needed now more than ever. “People obviously want to see a different narrative, and they want to see themselves reflected on screen and on stage,” Ailema says.

Ailema and the rest of the cast (Natalia Elizabeth, Nicole Sousa, Ashlee Jones, Benjamin Colbourne, Charles Nkrumah Jr, Resheda Terry, and Tiera Dashae with voiceovers by Kandace Caine & Kenneth Shook) will perform the play at the OMR Theatre in Los Angeles for the upcoming Hollywood Fringe Festival from June 7-24, 2018.

The OMR Theatre, @The Complex is located at 6468 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, Calif., 90038.

     Admission tickets available here:

www.hollywoodfringe.org/4897