The true story of America’s first female soldiers who spent decades fighting for recognition will inspire you.

March’s Women’s History Month is getting an early start at St. Stephen’s with the critically acclaimed musical “The Hello Girls.” The Upper School Theatre Department is bringing a remarkable true story to life on stage with the telling of America’s first female soldiers — bilingual telephone operators who served on the front lines in France during World War I. The three performances, Feb. 27–March 1, coincide with the start of Women’s History Month, an annual observance honoring the contributions of women past and present.

The musical follows the women’s journey overseas, where they connected more than 26 million calls for the American Expeditionary Forces. The story also touches on their decadeslong fight for recognition as veterans after the war. 

“The timing with the start of Women’s History Month feels like a lovely, serendipitous coincidence,” said Upper School Theatre Director Lindsay Brustein. “It's so appropriate, especially because the Hello Girls’ story has gone largely untold until recently, and they fought for a really long time — for decades — to be recognized for their service.” 

Brustein is leading a cast and crew of more than 30 students. She said the production not only shines a light on women’s historic contributions, but also invites the entire audience — of all genders — to consider how they are making a difference today.

“Even when everyone — from officers to the U.S. Congress — was telling the Hello Girls that they had no place in the military, they never ceased to fight for what they knew was right and just, which I find to be an incredibly important and timely idea in our current world,” said cast member Annie Ehrlich ’26, who plays Helen Hill, one of the Hello Girls.

At its core, the show explores the theme of connection and unity — from the deeply personal work of connecting calls to the broader impact of connecting lives across boundaries of language, culture and geography. Ehrlich also recognizes the strong connections formed between the soldiers themselves.

“As a company, I think we've managed to really capture that bond between the girls in all aspects of the production — from reminding each other of choreography in the wings, to providing tips on French pronunciation, to simply creating a welcoming community that spans across all grades in the Upper School,” said Ehrlich.

Like all school productions, this one presented unique challenges and new opportunities for growth. Several characters speak French, while others speak in French and German dialects, prompting cast members to refine their dialects and pronunciation. Students learned military drills and movement, including marching in formation and standing at attention, to portray soldiers authentically. Those playing telephone operators trained on switchboards custom built by Technical Director Robert Whyburn, and cast members conducted independent research, bringing in historical photos and documents to deepen character development.

“One of my favorite things about theatre is getting to know the characters that I play through the rehearsal process,” says cast member Lizzie Ahlgren ’26. “It’s become even more special with this musical because I play Grace Banker who is a real person.”

“It’s been exciting to see,” said Brustein. “It’s all been worth it because we’re honoring people who made such a difference in the war and in our world today.”

Special thanks to Technical Director Robert Whyburn; Assistant Technical Director Cam Allen; Middle School Theatre Director Jeremy Sweetlamb and his technical theatre students, who helped design props; and Shane Oberle P ’17, ’17 who handmade the female soldiers’ uniforms and led a team of costume students.
 

We’ll see you at one of the performances in the Helm Fine Arts Center!

Friday, Feb, 27 & Saturday, Feb. 28
7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 1, 2026
2:30 p.m.

"The Hello Girls" Cast & Crew

Cast
Grace: Lizzie Ahlgren '26
Suzanne: Mars Fifield '27
Bertha: Eline van der Valk '26
Helen: Annie Ehrlich '26
Louise: Lily Kling '26
Riser: James Benardete '28
Pershing: Ziri Udezue '26
Matterson: Kimberly Kyles '27
Doughboy Trio: Aaron Gao '27, Lee Fardal '26, Sage Griffin '28

Ensemble
Payton Curry '28
Sehva Faulkner '26
Hanniyah Khan '27
Mariana Losada Sanchez '26
Ella McCain '29
Marlowe Micheal-Egor 
Cora Sanders '28

Stage Management & Choreography
Stage Manager: Raleigh Munyon '26
Asst. Stage Manager: Sam Schoenbaum '28

Costumes/Hair/Makeup
Grace Abbott-Thompson '28
Aspen Gipprich '29
Audrey Kim '29
Ifra Mehrish '29
Amy Pan '26
Jaya Udezue '28
Finley Wilson '29

Props
Kate Alexander '29
Lauren Geller '27
Edison Leigh '26

Sound
Lauren Geller '27

Lighting Design
Addy English '26

Projections
Edison Leigh '26
Brydon Diffen '29

Spotlights
Heidi Bahlmann '26
Sasha Valles Hubner '28