Woven Theatre Premieres SILENT SKY at Belmont's Troutt Theatre Today

Woven Theatre Company presents Silent Sky, by Lauren Gunderson, as part of their Women Pioneer Series, opening this Friday, July 21, at Belmont University's Troutt Theatre. The Women Pioneer Series consists of plays about historically significant or under-recognized women, written by women. It runs through July 30.

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.

"Silent Sky is a familiar story to anyone who has ever known the pull of passion. To anyone who feels they have a calling, a desperate desire to know, or create, or think, the struggle of balancing that passion and the events of everyday life can be daunting," says director Laramie Hearn.

"This is a story about that. About the balancing act that is living, and the consequences of letting that balance tip. We, all of us, would like to know where we belong in this world, where our place in the universe is. That is Henrietta's greatest question, and her journey to its answer takes a lifetime."

Hearn's cast includes Meredith Daniel (as Henrietta), Christy Berryessa (Margaret), Beth Anne Musiker (Annie), Kelly Lapczynski (Williamina) and Alex Drinnen (Alex).

"Silent Sky is such a vibrant, tender, beautiful adventure. I'm so thankful and honored to bring Henrietta, a woman who defied custom and tradition to shatter the glass ceiling, to the stage," Daniel says.

"These women have been all but lost to history, and yet their contributions are still used today," Hearn explains. "Henrietta Leavitt's work on the Cephid stars led us to our understanding of the true size of the universe, created our understanding of period-luminosity relationship, and helped us map the stars. Annie Jump Cannon and Williamina Fleming also contributed greatly to the astronomical community, and yet these brilliant women were paid twenty-five cents an hour to compute data that others collected. Bringing stories like these to life is important, lest we forget what we owe to those that came before. Getting to work on this play with these people has been a gift. I couldn't ask for kinder, harder working artists than those I have. I'm so glad to have MerEdith Heading this one up, and the work she does with her fellows is compelling and honest."

Hearn's creative team for the project includes Jenna Hulsey (Stage Manager), Taylor Thomas (Lighting and Set), Sam Lowry (Projections and Set), Kyle Odum (Sound), Alizah Ferguson (Costumes)

Woven Theatre will have American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, provided by Bridges, on Sunday, July 23 and Thursday, July 27. Individual Tickets and Season Tickets are available at woventheatre.org or at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/silent-sky-by-lauren-gunderson-tickets-33679629679. Tickets are $10 online and $15 at the door.