Performances will take place September 18th - 21st at 7:30pm, and September 20th and 21st at 2pm.
Silent Sky, written by Lauren Gunderson (known as one of the most produced playwrights in the U.S.) and directed by Marcus Giamatti, will perform at the Randall Theater on September 18th - 21st at 7:30pm, and September 20th and 21st at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased through this ticketing link.
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 women probing their own 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.
"This is a play about risk, exploration, passion and love. It is a risk to do what no one believes we can." Giamatti said about the piece. "It is a play about how looking outside of ourselves at something so vast, like the galaxy, may be less challenging than understanding the complexities of the human condition."
Giamatti hopes audiences "will walk away with a greater regard for how one person's passion and courage can change the world. They will have a greater understanding of how these people pushed the outside of the envelope and got us where we are today-for how we look at the universe to how hard these women fought to make today's women's voices heard."
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. Silent Sky is a strong start to Temple Theaters' 2025-26 Season.
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