Stephanie Arezzi will play Henrietta Leavitt in Wollongong Workshop Theatre’s performance of Silent Sky. Photo: Wollongong Workshop Theatre.
One upon a time, a long, long time ago, when a ‘computer’ was still a person, one woman was the first to measure the size of our universe.
Her name was Henrietta Swan Leavitt, and her achievement was all the more remarkable because at the time women were not allowed to use telescopes.
Written by multiple award-winning American playwright Lauren Gunderson, Silent Sky follows Henrietta’s career as a ‘computer’ at the Harvard College Observatory where she recorded information about the brightness of stars from photographic plates.
Leavitt observed a relationship between the brightness and pulsations of certain stars and used this information to work out a method for measuring the distance to faraway galaxies, redefining the way we understand the size of the universe and paving the way for countless other astronomical discoveries.
Wollongong Workshop Theatre will present her story for their third production of 2025.
Director Belinda Ballhatchet said Silent Sky was a beautiful and moving journey through the cosmos, as well as a celebration of Henrietta’s achievements.
“Henrietta’s discovery was a seminal moment for the field, but she is often not recognised when people think of key astronomers from history,” Belinda said.
“Silent Sky tells the story of Henrietta’s life and her achievements in a beautiful package of light, music and love.
“I adore this story, and I think audiences will too.”
Silent Sky also highlights two other astronomers who worked about the same time as Leavitt: Annie ‘Jump’ Cannon and Williamina Fleming.
Both also made significant contributions to the field of astronomy.
Throughout her career, Annie Cannon logged more stars than anyone else has ever achieved – 350,000 – while Williamina Fleming discovered the Horsehead Nebula and the first white dwarf star.
Featuring a cast of five talented local performers and bursting with music and light, Silent Sky will delight anyone who holds a fascination for the stars.
Stephanie Arezzi will play Henrietta Leavitt; Billee Paige Harris will play Margaret Leavitt; Zachary Hanlon will play Peter Shaw, Laura Whalan will play Annie Cannon and Suzi Villeneuve-Smith will play Williamina Fleming.
Silent Sky opens at the Wollongong Workshop Theatre on 20 June and plays until 5 July, including an Auslan interpreted performance on Sunday 29 June.
Performances will run from 7:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 pm on Sundays, at 190 Gipps Road, Gwynneville, behind the Senior Citizens Centre.
Tickets are $30 per person, or $25 for concession cardholders. Book online.
