Covering the Land of Lincoln

The story of the Rockford Peaches coming to the stage at Rockford

ROCKFORD — You don’t need a baseball diamond to tell the story of the Rockford Peaches.

A theater stage and some talented performers will do just fine.

Husband and wife playwrights, Adam and Courtney Walsh, have collaborated to produce their fourth musical, “The Girls of Summer,” a lyrical performance about the Rockford Peaches and the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

The musical will debut Thursday at the Maddox Theater at Rockford University.

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Having written mostly male-dominated plays such as “Joseph,” “Guys and Dolls” and “Newsies,” the Walshes decided it was time for the women to be front and center and delved into the lives of the young women who played in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League.

Courtney Walsh said, “On YouTube, you can find all of these interviews with some of these women over the years, and it was really wonderful to be able to hear them talk about their perspective. And over and over, we just kept hearing them talk about the camaraderie and what it was like to play.”

Cassidy Spirk, 22, of Pennsylvania, plays “Georgie McCauley,” a character Spirk calls the “accidental leader” of the Peaches.

Spirk said she never participated on an organized softball team as a child, but knows she could have at any time if she desired.

While her character is fictional, she knows it is true that girls could not play in organized sports in the ’40s, which made the all girls baseball league so appealing to the young women.

Walsh added the league also filled a void when the men went away to fight in World War II.

“It’s a little bittersweet to get this great opportunity, but you’re only getting it because this horrible thing is happening,” she said.

“There are some poignant moments in the show where we address the fact that that was a very real reality at the time.”

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Spirk described the songs written by Adam Walsh as “powerful and uplifting, especially for women.

“It’s a great story, and I think it’s important that it’s being told.”

“The Girls of Summer” is billed as a fun show that pays tribute to the pioneering women who donned skirts and spikes and blazed a trail for generations of young girls to follow.

The show will be performed Friday through Sunday and again July 29-31 at the Maddox Theatre.

For ticket information, visit thestudiorockford.com

Chris Green: 815-987-1241; [email protected]; @chrisfgreen

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