Silent Sky at Parker Theatre

I have seen two very different productions of the play Silent Sky, an elaborate and stylized one at HCT and a more stripped down version at the Empress Theatre, so I was really eager to see what Parker Theatre would do with it. I had the opportunity last night and I think the staging falls somewhere in between the two and I loved it just as much. It is a beautiful story about the real-life astronomer Henrietta Leavitt (Emma Widtfeldt) and her trailblazing discovery that allowed future astronomers to calculate the distance between galaxies. She begins working in the Observatory at Harvard University in 1900 as a human computer along with Annie Cannon (Emily Parker Holmgren) and Williamina Fleming (Hillary McChesney) and, even though they are not allowed to use the university's refracting telescope because they are women, her questions about the universe compel her to work long hours analyzing the images on the glass photographic plates taken from the telescope. However, her dedication to her work puts her at odds with her sister Margaret (Jalyn Bender) over family obligations and with her supervisor Peter Shaw (William McAllister) over their romantic relationship but her legacy is secured. What I love most about this story, besides seeing a group of strong and determined women defy societal expectations, is the exploration of what a legacy means through the juxtaposition of the two sisters. The play opens with Margaret receiving a marriage proposal and Henrietta receiving a job offer and this is very effective because it establishes that Margaret believes in home and family while Henrietta believes in opportunity and hard work. Then, in the epilogue, we learn about Margaret's children and grandchildren as well as the lasting impact of Henrietta's work (including the Hubble telescope) and that both legacies are equally valuable. Widtfeldt gives a lovely performance that is more subdued in the portrayal of Henrietta's romance with Peter but more passionate in her search for answers than I have seen before. I especially enjoyed her excitement when she makes an important connection while listening to her sister play the piano and her exhilaration at seeing her work published. The rest of the cast is also outstanding and I particularly loved McChesney's imperiousness (I laughed out loud at her sash and pamphlets) and McAllister's awkwardness. The set is simple but effective and includes an academic office with desks and stools (I loved the way the glass photographic plates are displayed) and smaller set pieces for Margaret's home in Wisconsin, Henrietta's apartment in Cambridge, and an ocean liner. There are stunning images from space projected on scrims multiple times throughout the show and the depiction of the telescope is very dramatic. The lighting design is also very dramatic, especially the spotlights on characters as they read letters to Henrietta. While each production that I've seen has been very different, the commonality is a beautiful and inspiring story and I highly recommend getting a ticket Parker's version playing Fridays and Saturdays through October 11. Go here for tickets.