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. (120 min run time with 5 min intermission)

About WM Student-Led Theatre:

WM Student-Led Theatre is a non-profit theater company run entirely by students. We want to encourage students to make the theater they want to make. We hope to give students opportunities to take leadership roles in theater. We are always looking for students to direct and stage manage shows, as well as students who want to design and lead other crew positions. If you are a student in the Dane County area and are interested in joining us for our next production, please reach out to us on our email (wmstudentled@gmail.com), website (wmstudentled.org) or follow us on instagram! 

Director's Note:

Welcome to WM Student-Led Theatre's production of Silent Sky! I have thoroughly enjoyed working with these wonderful actors and crew members. Producing a play written for the stage over zoom has definitely had its challenges. From blocking specific hand movements to nailing the timing on the music, the cast has had to adjust and adapt to various situations and each actor has done it with graceful ease. This show would not have been possible without each one of you: thank you! And to the crew: designing a period-piece is not an easy task. Thank you all for your extensive research and hard work to create one of the most gorgeous shows I have ever seen! I also would especially like to thank Rick Braun for so generously allowing us to use the costumes. Lauren Gunderson is an incredible playwright and I am so thrilled to see you all bring her work of art to life. Enjoy!

Phoebe Wrycha

About the Playwright:

Lauren Gunderson is the most produced living playwright in America, the winner of the Lanford Wilson Award and the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and John Gassner Award for Playwriting, and a recipient of the Mellon Foundation’s 3-Year Residency with Marin Theatre Co. She studied Southern Literature and Drama at Emory University, and Dramatic Writing at NYU’s Tisch School where she was a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship. Her work has been commissioned, produced and developed at companies across the US including the Denver Center (THE BOOK OF WILL), South Coast Rep (EMILIE, SILENT SKY), The Kennedy Center (THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF DR. WONDERFUL AND HER DOG!), the O’Neill Theatre Center, Berkeley Rep, Shotgun Players, TheatreWorks, Crowded Fire, San Francisco Playhouse, Marin Theatre, Synchronicity, Olney Theatre, Geva, and more. Her work is published by Dramatists Play Service (SILENT SKY, BAUER), Playscripts (I AND YOU; EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEAR; and TOIL AND TROUBLE), and Samuel French (EMILIE). She is a Playwright in Residence at The Playwrights Foundation, and a proud Dramatists Guild member. She is from Atlanta, GA, and lives in San Francisco. LaurenGunderson.com and @LalaTellsAStory.

About the composer:

Jenny Giering's shows include The Mistress Cycle, which received three Jeff Award nominations and has a Broadway option; Crossing Brooklyn, which was produced by the Transport Group and was part of Bristol Riverside Theater's 2010 America Rising Series. She's working on Saint-Ex with Sean Barry, which was developed at Sundance's White Oak residency and Theatreworks/Palo Alto. It won the 2010 Weston Playhouse Award and will have its world premiere in Weston next summer. Jenny's awards include the Jonathan Larson Award, the Klinsky Prize from Second Stage Theatre Company and the National Art Song prize. She's working on a commission from Playwrights' Horizons and a new song cycle. Jenny's solo album, Look for Me, is available at www.jennygiering.com.