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The achievements of three trailblazing astronomers from the Harvard College Observatory in the 19th century will take centre stage this week at the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film at the University of Winnipeg. Lauren Gunderson’s Silent Sky opens the season for the university’s theatre and film department, and shares the stories of these remarkable scientists and the barriers of sexism they had to break through.
“The thing that stood out so glaringly to me was [that] this was an incredible story about three women I had never heard of,” said Silent Sky director Erin McGrath in a conversation with Nolan Kehler on Morning Light. “I felt disappointed in myself, but also in our education system and what our knowledge is about. So many of these in so many industries were making huge discoveries and continue to be unrecognized in their work. So, it felt really special to be able to share their story.”
The story of Silent Sky focuses on the life and work of Wilhelmina Fleming, Annie Cannon, and Henrietta Leavitt, who were a part of the Harvard College Observatory at the turn of the 20th century. Each of them made massive contributions to the study of space, from the classification system used for stars to calculating the distance between Earth and far-away galaxies.
In spite of all these accomplishments, all three of these women faced hurdles and discrimination in their field. McGrath notes that although we see the frustration bear out in Silent Sky, the charm of the main characters also comes from their humanity. “It doesn’t sit in the grief and the heaviness and the anger that could really be present,” she says. “What we do feel is their passion and the rigour at which they tackle their work.”
Overall, Silent Sky is a celebration of the achievements of the women as opposed to a reminder of how much work there is still to do to close the gender gap, but that’s not to ignore the disadvantages that women still face in a myriad industries. McGrath has been speaking with the fourth year honours students who make up the cast and crew throughout the rehearsal process about the challenges inherent to being a woman in the performing arts. “I think they’re very aware of what’s going on in the world. They’re also very aware of the industry,” McGrath observes. “I think they’ve had a really wonderful time where we are encouraging these conversations, encouraging these young people to take up space, to not apologize.”
Silent Sky runs from December 3 to December 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film on Colony Street in downtown Winnipeg, as well as a matinee performance at 4 p.m. on December 7. ASL assistance will also be provided for the December 5 performance, and a post-show discussion with astrophysicist Vesna Milosevic-Zdjelar will be taking place following the performance on December 4. You can reserve your tickets online through the University of Winnipeg theatre department’s website, with their online form, or by calling their 24-hour reservation line at (204) 786-9152.