The UW-La Crosse Department of Theatre Arts invites you to take a quest beyond the stars in Lauren Gunderson’s Silent Sky, a magical new play about one forgotten woman’s determined contribution to discovery, despite the demands of family and love.

Working as an assistant at the Harvard College Observatory in the 1910s, Henrietta Leavitt spends her days measuring and cataloging stars with her fellow female coworkers. However, when gender bias prohibits her from use of the telescope, Henrietta devotes time after hours analyzing thousands of stars and gathering evidence which will soon lead her to becoming a pioneering force in mapping the cosmos. Interspersed with romance and dedication to family, Silent Sky is a brave play of beauty and inspiration.

Beth Ryan, a Senior Theatre Performance major, plays Scottish astronomer Williamina Fleming and says that representing a historical figure has been her most exciting challenge throughout this process.

“Many of the characters are based on real people; therefore, the actors have the wonderful opportunity to investigate a wealth of personal information to create characters with a great deal of truth to them,” she says.

Based on the biography of Henrietta Leavitt, the show opens a dialogue for topics such as underappreciated women in science and the evolution of women in the work place, but Ryan explains that people don’t need to brush up on their history in order to enjoy Silent Sky.

“With stories that take place in another period of history, the misconception can be that it is too difficult to connect to a time that seems so far away and unrelatable, but this show has characters and journeys that are understandable and intriguing.”

Silent Sky will show November 3-5 at 7:30 p.m. & November 6 at 2:00 p.m. in Frederick Theatre, Morris Hall (lower level); 16^th and State Streets.

Tickets go on sale at 1:00 p.m. Monday, October 31.  Box office hours are 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturdays, and one hour before show times.  Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for senior/non UWL students and $5 for UW-L students; call (608) 785-8522.  General admission. Limited seating.

—UWL—

If you go—

Who:    University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Department of Theatre Arts

What:  Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson

Where: Frederick Theatre, Morris Hall (lower level); 16^th and State Streets

When:  November 3-5 at 7:30 p.m. & November 6 at 2:00 p.m.

Admission: $16 for adults, $14 for senior citizens and non-UWL students, $5 UWL students; call (608) 785-8522. Tickets go on sale at 1:00 p.m. Monday, October 31.  Box office hours are 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Saturdays, and one hour before show times. General admission.  Limited seating.

Cast: Morgan Gates, Sarah Lambert, Katie Piper, Beth Ryan, Julia Whalen