Signature Series: Silent Sky and Q and A with Lauren Gunderson

Friday, March 8, 2019
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Delve into the life of Henrietta Leavitt, a woman who charted the stars and made astronomical discoveries in a time when women were not supposed to be developing their own scientific theories.  Read by Falcon Takes Flight, the outreach wing of Falcon Theatre, “Silent Sky” recounts the true story of Harvard University’s living “computers” and one woman’s challenge striking a balance between love, family and intellectual ambition.

When Henrietta Leavitt begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, she isn’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. Instead, she joins a group of women “computers,” charting the stars for a renowned astronomer who calculates projects in “girl hours” and has no time for the women’s probing theories. As Henrietta, in her free time, attempts to measure the light and distance of stars, she must also take measure of her life on Earth, trying to balance her dedication to science with family obligations and the possibility of love. The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications; Henrietta Leavitt and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and Earth.

The playwright, Lauren Gunderson, will be talking with the audience via video chat after the reading.

Lauren Gunderson was the most-produced living playwright in America for 2017. She is a playwright, screenwriter and short story author from Atlanta, Georgia. Her works include “Silent Sky”, “Ada and the Machine”, “The Revolutionists” and “Miss Bennett Christmas at Pemberley.”

This Signature Series Event is part of the Library’s STEAM Madness programming. STEAM Madness is supported by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave campaign.

Newport Branch