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