Pictured: Juniors Katy Trunz (left) and Madison Niness (right) during a rehearsal of ‘Silent Sky’
By Megan Ruge, Editor-in-Chief
The Susquehanna Department of Theatre will debut the woman-centered production of “Silent Sky” at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 in Degenstein Center Theater, with additional performances taking place through Feb. 24.
“Silent Sky” was written in 2015 by American playwright Lauren Gunderson.
The production centers on Henrietta Leavitt, a female astronomer who makes waves for women in her field.
The story begins with Leavitt’s start at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, when her abilities and ideas are suppressed by her male cohorts and she instead becomes part of a group of women “computers.”
This group of women worked under renowned astronomer Edward Pickering, charting stars.
The observatory charted the difficulty of a project in “girl hours,” or the number of hours it would take a human computer to gather all of the data.
“The play basically tells the story of her life as a working astronomer and her contributions to the field,” said junior Lena Costello.
According to senior Caitlin Barnes, the show’s director, the truth to the story is what made the script so hard to bring to life.
“A big part of the rehearsal process has been studying the time period and trying to piece together what it was like to live in the early 1900s,” Barnes said. “As well as finding as many facts as we can about a woman whose story is not well-known.”
The production also features Leavitt’s coworkers, Annie Cannon and Williamina Fleming, as supporting characters in the story of her achievements. Costello plays Cannon, one of Pickering’s female computers. “[Cannon] was also a real person who is known for her contributions to stellar classifications,” Costello said. “She developed a system for classifying stars based on temperature.”
“She and [Fleming] have been working together for years and when [Leavitt] is hired, [Cannon] is pretty strict with her,” Costello continued. She wants everyone to do their work effectively and efficiently.”
“But she also becomes a bit of a mentor to [Leavitt] once they’ve gotten to know each other better,” Costello said.
Costello’s character plays an important role in the production, but Cannon’s complexity has added a struggle to bringing this character to life.
“I think for me personally, [Cannon] is a super complex character,” Costello said. “She presents [as being] very stern and no-nonsense, but she still has a good sense of humor and a good heart.”
“So, balancing those opposites has been a huge challenge for me, but one that’s been incredibly interesting to navigate,” Costello continued.
Though the production has had many struggles, the cast and crew agreed that there are some things that have worked out perfectly.
“Something that has fallen into place just as I had hoped are my actors. Not only are they my actors, they are also my peers and support system,” Barnes said. “It has been so great having them with me and being able to collaborate with them in a different way for the first time.”
“They are the glue of this production and I could not be more thankful for their commitment and time,” Barnes continued.
According to Barnes, the show is almost completely student-run. This includes Barnes herself, as well as the set designer and the costume designer, who are both seniors.
“For us, this is our first large-scale project and while it is stressful, it is incredibly eye-opening as well,” Barnes said. “In terms of technical aspects, there will be a large amount of projections.”
“This is not really something we’ve had a lot of experience with before, but it should be an awesome aspect in pulling this production together,” Barnes added.
According to Costello, this show has a bit of something for everyone.
“There are moments with family, friendship, determination and romance,” Costello explained. “Yes, there’s a bunch of astronomy that goes over a lot of heads, but the story is just so human.”
“I truly hope the audience takes [Leavitt]’s drive and passion home with them,” Barnes said. “While not all of us are on the path to discover the depths of space, we all have that one thing that drives us and I hope that [Leavitt] encourages the audience to go after their passion and let nothing get in their way.”
Tickets for the show can be purchased at the box office in Degenstein Campus Center or by calling 570-372- ARTS.
Tickets are free for Susquehanna students, $15 for adults and $10 for non-Susquehanna students and senior citizens.
Previous productions in this year’s main stage season include “Doubt” in September and “Pippin” in October.
“Silent Sky” will be followed by “She Stoops to Conquer” in April, as well as the second stage show “Crumbs from the Table of Joy” in February and March.
