Cast Announced for SILENT SKY at Asolo Repertory Theatre

Asolo Repertory Theatre will present Lauren Gunderson's SILENT SKY as the second play in its 2023 repertory season. Director Seema Sueko makes her Asolo Rep debut with this mesmerizing drama that's full of wonder, humor and heart. SILENT SKY begins previews on Jan. 19, opens on Jan. 21, and runs through March 5, in the Mertz Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.

At the turn of the 20th century, years before women had the right to vote, one woman's breakthrough changed our perception of the stars. SILENT SKY is the remarkable true story of Henrietta Leavitt, one of the pioneering women astronomers working at Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s. Audiences will be enthralled by the story of this extraordinary woman who took on the astronomy establishment in order to discover the mysteries embedded in the sky. Henrietta transcended the odds while navigating love, family and the universe, going on to make a world-altering advancement to the field of astronomy that forever changed our view of the cosmos.

Sueko is the 2022 recipient of the Theatre Communications Group's Alan Schneider Director Award and has worked with theatre companies across the country. Raised in Honolulu, she received her Master of Arts degree in international relations from the University of Chicago and serves on the boards of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and its Foundation. She staged SILENT SKY at Washington D.C.'s Ford's Theatre in 2020 and is eager to bring this inspirational true story to Sarasota.

"The real-life women at the center of SILENT SKY transcended restrictions, discrimination and the noise of the time, advancing humanity and our understanding of the universe," said Sueko. "I hope the audience has a transcendent experience and feels as if they can touch the stars."

The design team for SILENT SKY includes Milagros Ponce de Leon (Scenic Design), Ivania Stack (Costume Design), Rui Rita (Lighting Design), Andre Pluess (Sound Design and Original Compositions), Shawn Duan (Projection Design), and Michelle Hart (Hair/Wig & Make-Up Design).

The cast features Lise Bruneau as Williamina Fleming, Christian Douglass as Peter Shaw, Kyla Dyan as Henrietta Leavitt, Suzanne Grodner as Annie Cannon and Zoya Martin as Margaret Leavitt.

The understudies are Macaria Chaparro Martinez, William Rowland-Jackson Crowder, Elle Miller and Ayda Ozdoganlar.

"When I read Lauren Gunderson's SILENT SKY, I was swept away by the bold theatricality she brought to the deeply compelling story of Henrietta Leavitt, a scientist who overcame numerous obstacles to chart the stars," said Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. "I can't wait for Asolo Rep audiences to share in this rich, nourishing story that reminds us of how much one person can impact all of humanity."

SILENT SKY is recommended for all audiences.

SILENT SKY runs Jan. 19 - March 5. Previews are Jan. 19 - 20. Visit asolorep.org for a full performance schedule. Orchestra and Mezzanine seats start at $65 and Balcony seats start at $33. Tickets are available now in person at Asolo Rep's Box Office at 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, by phone at 941.351.8000 or 800.361.8388, or online at asolorep.org.

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