KIRO’s Angela Poe Russell debuts Bessie Coleman musical ‘Aviatrix’ in Seattle

Long before Amelia Earhart became a household name, a Black and Native American woman from rural Texas was already soaring. Now, a new musical called “Aviatrix” is bringing Bessie Coleman’s largely untold story to the stage at Seattle Public Theater.

The production, the largest the nonprofit theater has ever mounted, opened May 15 and runs through June 7. It features a book and lyrics by Seattle journalist-turned-playwright Angela Poe Russell and music by Drama Desk Award nominee Dionne McClain-Freeney.

Russell, who fills in on KIRO Newsradio, told “Seattle’s Morning News” she was moved to write the show after learning about Coleman as an adult — and feeling cheated that the story had eluded her for so long.

“I was angry because I said, ‘How did I go all of these years and not hear about her?'” Russell said. “I reflected on what it would have been like as a little girl if I would have heard a story like hers — that all of these barriers, all of these obstacles, and she found a way to jump over all of them.”

The real story behind ‘Aviatrix’

Coleman, born in 1892, dreamed of flying at a time when U.S. flight schools barred women. As a Black and Native American woman, she faced even steeper obstacles. She worked two jobs, learned French, and moved to France, where she earned her international pilot’s license in 1921 before returning to the United States as a celebrated stunt pilot.

Haley Dortch, who portrays Coleman in the musical and previously appeared in a touring production of “Les Misérables,” said she feels a deep personal connection to the role.

“I am also from Texas. Half of my family still lives in Waxahachie, which is where Bessie was raised,” Dortch said. “We all know the Amelia Earhart story, but this is one that just kind of gets swept under the rug.”

Dortch said she hopes audiences leave the theater with a broader sense of possibility.

“Up there in the sky, she’s not limited to these things, but even on the ground, Bessie doesn’t even see herself as these things,” she said. “She just sees herself as a human doing what she wants and pursuing that.”

Russell, who was accepted to music school in high school before choosing journalism, said the transition to writing for the stage required a steep learning curve — especially in shedding facts that didn’t serve the show’s emotional core.

The show is directed by Amy Poisson. Tickets are available on a sliding scale at seattlepublictheater.org.

This story was originally published on April 3, 2026. It has been updated and republished since then.

Manda Factor is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. Follow Manda on X and email her here. 

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