Silent Sky

Silent Sky, by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Herschel Kruger, opens Friday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wartburg Theatre in the David A. Straz, Jr. Center. The show runs two weekends, with performances on Saturday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, March 18 at 3 p.m., and March 22 through 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Based on the true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, Silent Sky explores women’s role in society, and the social progress that accompanied the scientific discoveries at the turn of the century. Leavitt’s work at the Harvard University observatory is at first unnoticed, as she is placed in a women’s think tank largely discredited by the university’s male scientists. She is unable to express her ideas, and they often go ignored until claimed by a man. She is denied access to technology to further her work, yet fights alongside the strong women supporting her to make her contribution known. In her free time, Henrietta works to measure the light and distance of stars, while also attempting to find balance between her work and her familial obligations, and considering the possibility of love in her future. A poignant tale of empowerment, Silent Sky invites audiences to experience how Leavitt and her colleagues fought to change the world’s perception of both the world around them and what lies beyond.

Heralded as the most produced playwright of the 2017-2018 season nationwide (American Theatre Magazine), Lauren Gunderson crafts her intimate works with a careful balance of whimsy and modern sensibility. Her award-winning works are often inspired by works of great literature or real life events, as is the case with Silent Sky and her 2017 play Ada and the Engine about “poetic scientist” Ada Lovelace. Fans of the 2016 drama Hidden Figures will find similarities within the struggles of great women in science hindered by the gender politics of their era. With its unrelentingly strength from Gunderson’s dynamic female characters overlaid with its playful nostalgia, Silent Sky is a triumphant tribute to the life and contributions to one of many exceptional women in history.

Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased online at carthage.edu/tickets or at the Box Office. Tickets are $14 for adults, $10 for seniors (55+), and $8 for students with a valid ID. Please visit carthage.edu/box-office for the Carthage student/faculty/staff complimentary ticket policy. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Box Office oee@carthage.edu or call (262) 551-6661. Be sure to like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/carthagefinearts for information about upcoming events and fine arts at Carthage.