Silent Sky
By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Alison Walters-Short
Stage managed by Molly Scrivens
Produced by Myla Haan
April 19, 20, 26, and 27, 2024 (evening)
April 28, 2024 (matinee)
When Henrietta Leavitt begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, she isn’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. Instead, she joins a group of women “computers,” charting the stars for a renowned astronomer who calculates projects in “girl hours” and has no time for the women’s probing theories. As Henrietta, in her free time, attempts to measure the light and distance of stars, she must also take measure of her life on Earth, trying to balance her dedication to science with family obligations and the possibility of love. The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications; Henrietta Leavitt and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and Earth.
Cast
Henrietta Leavitt - Marty Mason
Margaret Leavitt - Savannah White
Peter Shaw - Lee Pallotta
Annie Cannon - Jane Allard
Williamina Fleming - Karen Dervin
Understudies - Kat Stryker, Kathleen O'Connor
Creative Team
Lighting Design - Iain Bason
Sound Design - Todd Short
Set Design - Alison Walters-Short
Lead Carpenter - Kevin Cassidy
Props Design and Set Dressing - Margot Grossman
Assistant Props Design - Kathleen O'Connor
Costume Design - Hannah Schuurman
EMACT DASH Nomination
Margot Grossman - Prop Design for a Play