1783: The first hot air balloon flight in France. The nation goes insane with Balloonomania. But ten years later, the craze deflates. Desperate aeronaut Jean-Pierre Blanchard needs a new gimmick for his act. What about a girl? Enter Sophie Armant.

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Sophie’s novelty as a female flier proves irresistible. The Blanchards become instant celebrities, until Jean-Pierre drops dead, leaving Sophie penniless. Sophie's move? Double down. She goes solo with stunts so dangerous Napoleon and Louis XVIII both want front-row seats.

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She's absolutely thriving until a pyrotechnic stunt turns her balloon into a fireball mid-flight.

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Her gravestone reads: “A victim of her art and intrepidity.” But was she a victim? Or did she just love something so much she burned herself out—literally? But what a life! For all she accomplished, Sophie was almost entirely forgotten by history. Until now!

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Part of what draws me to Sophie is how radically she reframes what a woman's life can look like. She wasn't defined by romance, domesticity, or anyone else's expectations of her. She was defined by her obsession, her courage, and her work.

I don't often see that version of womanhood reflected onstage. I wanted to create a story where a woman's deepest commitment is to her craft, and where that isn't treated as something she has to outgrow or sacrifice in order to become complete.