Two months since auditions, theatre students are preparing to perform “Silent Sky” from Feb. 23 to 27 in the Malcolm Field Theatre.
Silent Sky explores the life of a female astronomer by the name of Henrietta Leavitt. This story told during the 1800s is based on real historical events and navigates the challenges women faced in society during a time of remarkable scientific discoveries.
Jared Kaufman, a communication and theatre education senior, plays the role of Peter Shaw, a fictional character representing the men that worked in the same department as Henrietta Levitt, the play’s protagonist.
Kaufman said the show is relevant because it portrays the stereotypes toward women at the very end of the 19th Century.
“The show will include fantastic technical elements including some very cool projections the entire cast and crew are excited for,” Kaufman said.
Kee Ferguson is a sixth-year theatre and creative writing dual major who plays the role of Williamina Fleming. They said their character has a specific dialect and accent that they have been working to master since winter break.
“This show is so beautiful, in every aspect; from the story to our set and all the work put in by the design teams (sound, lighting, projections, costumes, props)” they said. “You name it, they’ve put their hearts into it.”
Ferguson said they are proud of their castmates and the show’s crew, and that they are so glad to be a part of the show for its content and beauty.
Peggy Mead-Finizio is the director of the production and a mentor for student designers. She said she fell in love with the characters in the story the first time she saw the play as a staged reading.
“It is based on true events, real people, and the discoveries made by the characters are still used in astronomy today,” she said. “I am excited to share the story of a woman from the early part of the 20th Century that had a passion for something way beyond her reach and the impact she and the other women in the story made on the world.”
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