For Hub City Times

SPENCER – With the success of the movie ​“Hidden Figures,” audiences began to realize the contributions of women scientists, the story behind the story.  In the same way, Lauren Gunderson illustrates the work of Nobel-nominated, Harvard astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt in her play, “Silent Sky.”

The story of Leavitt’s arrival at the Harvard Observatory, her painstaking work classifying the stars in the universe, and her discovery of the rhythmic pulses of stars are the center of the action. Leavitt’s doomed love affair with another astronomer and the other ground-breaking women astronomers working at what was referred to “Pickering’s Harem” fill out the background.

Even though Leavitt’s painstaking work was instrumental in forming the basis of modern astronomy and space exploration, Hubble is a household name while Henrietta Leavitt is virtually unknown.  Silent Sky ​ also highlights the careers of two other almost forgotten women astronomers at the Harvard Observatory. Annie Jump Cannon, Leavitt’s co-worker, created the standard for noting the temperature of the stars, and Williamina Fleming was the first woman to be an honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Maggie Riordan, a senior at Spencer High School, performs the role of Henrietta Swan Leavitt, and Franzisca Fuchs will play her sister, Margaret.  Peter, Henrietta’s boss and love interest, is played by Zach Endreas and Jabez Taylor, and Morgan Rahm will play the astronomers Annie Cannon and Williamina Fleming.  Kristin Lohrentz will direct.

The Spencer High School Drama Club’s performance of Silent Sky is May 3-4, at 7:30 p.m. in the LuCille Tack Center for the Arts, 300 N. School St., Spencer. Tickets are available at the door.

For more information contact Kristin Lohrentz at [email protected]​  or 715-659-4211.