Wheaton Drama explores the 'Silent Sky' with early astronomer Henrietta Leavitt
This weekend, Wheaton Drama is opening its next production, Lauren Gunderson's "Silent Sky," the poignant tale of a woman's dedication to the stars.
It is 1900 and Henrietta Leavitt is an astronomer ahead of her time.
Working at Harvard University as a human computer mapping the stars without scientific credit, Henrietta has ambitions to make discoveries of her own. When she is told that the use of Harvard's "Great Refractor" telescope is only for the men of her department, her ambitions only become more profound. This is the story of one woman's determination, sacrifice, and realization of the importance of the people in her life.
The production is directed by Krystyn Wells (Oak Park) and produced by Mike Boyna (Bloomingdale). The cast features Claire Yearman (Elgin), Lauren Schulke (St. Charles), Zach Gibson (Warrenville), Heidi Swarthout (Batavia), and Jean Austin (Winfield).
"As it happens, we know little about Henrietta's personal life, despite her incredible impact on astronomy. Lauren Gunderson has given our protagonist some tough choices in 'Silent Sky' that are all too relevant even now. Despite her intelligence and drive for discovery, Henrietta is held back simply for her gender," Wells said. "And while, by all accounts, Dr. Pickering did his best to credit his computers, it was difficult for the likes of Leavitt, Cannon, Fleming, et al., to make the jump from data entry to analysis and application."
"Silent Sky" opens on Friday, March 25, and runs for three weekends until April 10 at Wheaton Drama's Playhouse 111, 111 N. Hale St. in downtown Wheaton.
Lauren Schulke, who portrays Margaret Leavitt, notes, "The women working at the Harvard Observatory were able to achieve due to their incredible hard work, determination, and passion. With only rudimentary instruments at their disposal, these women accomplished amazing discoveries in their brutte tenacity to map the stars. These pioneer women deserve more than just a page in the history books, and I'm proud to be a part of a show that shares their stories."
Zach Gibson portrays Peter Shaw, the only male character in the play. "I represent the gender power imbalance that existed for women in science, and throughout society over the last century, and that still persists in many ways today. It is my hope that audiences leave 'Silent Sky' recognizing the incredible power, resilience, and abilities of women in our society, despite being faced with a history of misogyny and inequality," Gibson notes.
The leading role of Henrietta Leavitt is played by Claire Yearman.
"One of the things I adore about the story is the determination of Henrietta. She is incredibly ambitious and driven to work hard. In doing so, she regularly ends up needing to make sacrifices," Yearman said. "As daunting as her work is, she comes to realize the importance of the people in her life. As Henrietta says in the play, 'Because the real point ... is seeing something bigger. And knowing we're a small part of it, if we're lucky. In the end that is a life well-lived'."
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays, March 25 to April 10.
Tickets are $19 for all performances except Thursday evenings, which are $16. Tickets are available at www.wheatondrama.org or by calling (630) 260-1820.
Director Wells concludes," Just this last Christmas, we saw the James Webb Telescope launch into the beyond in order to give us a glimpse backward in time. Are we alone? What new things will we learn? We are, at the end of the day, constellations of connected souls. What will you do with your time here before you shift into star stuff? Now, more than ever, we need science."