Review: SILENT SKY at ICT Rep At The Dome In Exploration Place

I had never been to the Dome at Exploration Place, and I want to tell you that seeing Silent Sky in this setting was magical. The breathtaking 180 degree projections, by Jordan Slusher, wrapped around and hugged the actors and the audience, immersing us completely in the world of the play. What an excellent idea for this site specific performance!

This beautiful play was written by Lauren Gunderson, who, according to American Theatre Magazine, is  the most consistently produced living American playwright of the 2020’s. Gunderson’s work often highlights the stories of high achieving women and their emotional journey on their way to fame. Silent Sky was commissioned by and premiered at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, CA as part of the 2011 Pacific Playwrights Festival. It was the winner of the 2024 William Inge Theatre Festival, and also won a Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award.

Silent Sky follows the life of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, as she traverses the difficulties of  being a woman in the man’s sphere of Astronomy at Harvard University during a time of consequential scientific discoveries. Leavitt was a human computer at Harvard University. Her work on Cepheids, pulsating giant stars that were used for measuring cosmic distance, especially to other galaxies, led to the discovery of the absolute vastness of the universe, which answered Leavitt’s oft pondered question: Where are we? Meanwhile, she tries to manage her personal and family life, which is equally as challenging.

Director Dr. Julie Longhofer creates an effective, multi-location journey with smart staging and tight set piece placement on a postage stamp stage. Stan Longhofer’s Lighting Design is minimal yet effective. He illuminates the tiny stage without light bleed into the audience or washing out the beautiful projections on the Dome. Kirk Longhofer’s Sound Design is subtle and sublime.

Jordan Slusher’s watercolor illustrations projected onto the dome are exquisite. Once you get used to the expansive wraparound feature of scenery projected on the dome, you settle into the story. The story of light, from the moonlit glow of a Wisconsin churchyard to Harvard Yard in daylight,  is prevalent in Slusher’s illustrations, accenting luminescence like Monet or Turner. One of my favorite projections was the classic map of the constellations, 1880 Magnitude of the Stars.

Henrietta Leavitt is cleanly played by Jill Nicole Herbert. Herbert’s Leavitt is composed, unflappable, and resilient, until she’s not. Leavitt gets pushed to the edge by her great loves -  Astronomy, her sister Margaret, and her erstwhile paramour, Peter Shaw - and when she is, sheaves of passion take flight, only to be reigned in again by the practical aspects of life. Herbert navigates each with relentless bursts of energy and calm, just like Leavitt’s beloved Cepheids. Leavitt laments “I might have forgotten how to live.”

Leavitt’s sister Margaret, who gets left behind in Wisconsin to hold down the family homestead, is played by Holland Lee Kiser with warmth,  nervousness, and apprehension. Kisner’s Margaret presses on with life, vacillating between caretaker/independent woman mode, between pride and anger with Henrietta, particularly in matters spiritual. Even though Margaret finds her calling as a composer, she still finds herself in the role of perpetual mom. Kiser also sings in this play, and her voice is heavenly.

Peter Shaw, Leavitt’s supervisor at the Observatory, is jealous of her. “She’s discovering and I don’t know what that feels like - I’m just doing my job.” Jackson Dorris’ perfectly nerdy portrayal of Shaw, who is smitten with Leavitt, is tongue tied with jumble of thoughts as he stumbles in and then out of her life. Peter’s admission of admiration stops time, as he and Leavitt dance under a sheltering sky. They vow to continue their relationship, as Leavitt and Shaw agree to be afar but not apart. When Leavitt abruptly leaves the Observatory to go to Wisconsin to help Margaret take care of her father after his stroke, Dorris’ character sorely disappoints everyone by giving up on Leavitt and their relationship.

The women that Leavitt work with at the Harvard Observatory are nothing short of remarkable. Williamina Fleming, another brilliant “computer,” eventually discovers the Horsehead Nebula in 1888. With a great Scottish accent, a deep sense of humour, and a warm, earthy, bright demeanor, Baylee Braswell brings Williamina to life. Lydia Pirilli plays Annie Jump Cannon, another “computer,” who is credited with the creation of the Harvard Classification Scheme, or “OBAFGKM,” which classifies stars based on their temperatures. Pirilli’s tight, crisp, thoughtful movement and gentle tone disguise Canon’s quiet strength. These women form a strong bond that nothing can break. Cannon tells Leavitt “Light is a constant; I choose to measure you in light.”

There is so much more I could say about this iteration of Silent Sky, but I won’t because you need to go see it for yourself. Brave the snow and cold and be warmed by the bright fire of this immersive event, as it’s only running for one weekend!

Performances run through Sunday, January 25 in the Dome Theatre at Exploration Place. Since the play opened Thursday night, there have been some changes due to our snowy Wichita weather.