February 17, 2026

Flight of fancy: SVSU production inspires audience to give wings to dreams

Anyone who remembers when their imaginations soared will appreciate Saginaw Valley State University’s next theatre production, “When She Had Wings.” Performances will be held in SVSU’s Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts Wednesday, Feb. 18-Saturday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m. 

Written by Susan Zeder, a leading playwright for young and family audiences, “Wings” is an uplifting story that follows a young girl, B — just B — on the cusp of her 10th birthday. B is certain that before she could walk, she could fly. Now she is in a race against time to rediscover that ability before she turns 10. When lightning strikes B’s treehouse during a summer thunderstorm, a mysterious woman appears. Speaking only in strange squawks, single words and occasionally the letters “KHAQQ,”  — the call letters of the plane Amelia Earhart was flying when she disappeared — the stranger and B try to help each other remember how to fly, literally and metaphorically.

For Stephanie Crachiolo, a music major from Sterling Heights, playing the lead, B, is different from other roles.

“The biggest challenge has been embracing B’s youthfulness,” Crachiolo said. “She’s a nine- (almost 10-) year-old, and I’ve never played a child before so it’s been a really fun experience tapping into that childlike wonder and excitement! She truly is such an excitable sweetheart, and discovering her character has been such a fun experience that I’ve been so grateful to have!”

Filling out the cast are:

• Brook Treynor, a psychology major from Greenville, in the role of A (mysterious stranger)
• Jaiden Gardner, a theatre major from North Branch, in the role of Dad/Man
• Isaac Pease, a theatre major from Flint, in the role of Attendant
• Addi Williams, a cell biology, molecular biology and biomedical sciences major from Otsego, in the role of Wingman
• Tyler Obermiller, a theatre major from Mio, in the role of Sound Op

Peggy Mead-Finizio, associate professor of theatre, directs the play. She said an interesting aspect of this production is the duality of student’s role as cast and crew.

“The type of storytelling in the play is a challenge because the Sound Designer is actually a character on stage. We have a student designer who also happens to be an actor playing the role of Sound Op. His name is Tyler Obermiller. He is splitting his time between being in rehearsal and creating sound cues.”

Obermiller was excited about being asked to fill both roles — sound designer and Sound Op. Yet the challenges of both led Obermiller to make a bold move, contacting the composer and sound designer from the original production, Christopher Baine. Obermiller explained:

“Because of the complexity of both the character and the sound design, I reached out to Christopher Baine and to my surprise, he responded. We set up a meeting where we discussed how Sound Op functions within the play and the unique challenges of the design. He expressed how impressed he was that I had taken on both roles, given the demands of each. During that conversation, he shared original music and preliminary paperwork with me and generously gave permission for us to use his music in the production. While we are incorporating some of Christopher’s compositions, the overall sound design is entirely my own.”

“When She Had Wings” is an uplifting, family-friendly production. Tickets are $15 plus fees and can be purchased online here at any time or at the SVSU box office one hour prior to show time. SVSU students can attend the play at no cost.

For more information about “When She Had Wings” and other SVSU theatre productions, visit svsu.edu/theatre.