This week, Three Sisters Theatre Company opens their latest production, Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson. Brian Carroll interviewed producer and actor Robin Guy.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Apt613: Apartment613 has large audiences for theatre and for astronomy. We think those audiences will want to know more about Silent Sky.
Robin Guy: Silent Sky is an almost true story about the real historical figure of Henrietta Leavitt. She was, along with other women, employed by Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s as a computer. Which means, in that context, one who computes. These women were very educated. They came out of Wellesley and Radcliffe and had a really good education in math and astronomy and the sciences. They were employed by the male astronomers at Harvard Observatory to do their math.
Apt613: Tell me more about Henrietta Leavitt, Annie Cannon, and Williamina Fleming.
RG: These women all worked together. There were a lot of women astronomers. Annie Cannon created the standard for classifying stars based on [their] temperature. Williamina Fleming was the first woman to hold the title of curator in astronomy (at Harvard). She is responsible for the Draper catalog which was the first huge list of stars, novae and supernovae.
Henrietta Leavitt developed this interest in astronomy. She went to Radcliffe and got a certificate because, at that time, women were not given university degrees, despite the fact that it was a comparable education. Of course, all of these women’s work was claimed by their male counterparts.
She taught everybody (in astronomy) how to measure distance between stars. She was examining the Cepheid stars. They pulse and she worked out that the brightness and the frequency of the pulsing together could create a standard by which you could calculate distance. Before that, it was still up for debate whether there was anything outside our own galaxy. When her work was published and then adopted and used, we suddenly had a standard by which we could measure distance and understand just how vast the universe is.
Photo by Maria Vartanova.
Apt613: Why did Three Sisters choose Silent Sky?
RG: Three Sisters’ mandate is always to put meaningful stories about women on stage. And to create opportunities for women to work together. So this show really fit the bill. It raises up and brings right into heart and mind, these amazing women, their accomplishments, and really deep, meaningful stories. There are four female characters in this play, and they are all fully developed, meaty characters. They’re fantastic to play. To get four fantastic characters like this on stage together is really wonderful for Three Sisters.
Apt613: Why does the audience want to see Silent Sky?
RG: It’s such an amazing story. It is very human. It is very engaging. There is music; there is light. We’ve got some cool (special) effects going on in this show. The relationships between the characters: you’re gonna relate to every single one of these relationships, from collegial to romantic to sibling relationships. And the generosity of spirit of this show. I love how full you feel when you get to the end of it. It fills you up with every different emotion in the human experience.
Apt613: The website says, “Silent Sky offers the very best of local indie theatre talents.” So who’s in the cast?
RG: I’m playing Annie Cannon. Cindy Beaton is playing Williamina Fleming. Melissa Raftis is playing Henrietta. Our two fictional characters are played by Kaylee Ross and by Ray Burrage-Goodwin. Ray plays Peter, who represents all the men.
Apt613: Who’s directing?
RG: Rebecca Russell is directing. She’s done a number of Orpheus shows, shows with Ninth Hour.
Apt613: There’s also a conversation with astronomy experts.
RG: There is!
Apt613: And it’s…
RG: Saturday, March 22, between the shows (4:30 to 5:30pm).
Photo by Maria Vartanova.
Apt613: So it’s at the theatre? Between the matinee and the evening show?
If you come to the matinee, you just stay in your seat. If you’re coming to the evening show, come at 4:30pm and grab a seat. Anybody who has a ticket to any Silent Sky show — you can have a ticket for Tuesday and still come to the talk. If you’ve got tickets for the evening show, there’ll be enough of a break that you can run out to Preston Street and find some supper.
Apt613: Silent Sky has some unusual at-the-door ticket discounts. What are they?
RG: Three Sisters always likes to have some sort of quirky ticket specials. One that we have for every show is if you show up at the door with your sister and identify yourselves at the box office, the second ticket is half price.
In this one, we have a dress up opportunity. If you are a person who works in STEM, come in your lab gear. You’ll get 15 per cent off your ticket. Whatever your lab gear looks like, come in your lab gear.
Apt613: Is there anything else audiences should know?
RG: The one thing I would say is that we have a really outstanding design for this show. It’s not just that you’re gonna see fantastic actors on the stage, but this is actually going to be a beautiful show to look at. They are, at this moment, building our observatory. The whole thing takes place in the observatory. It’s gonna be gorgeous.
Silent Sky by Three Sisters Theatre Company is playing at the Gladstone Theatre at 7:30pm nightly from March 19-29, except Sunday & Monday. There are 2:30pm matinees on Saturdays and Sunday. Weekday matinee 11:00am on Wednesday March 26. Panel discussion 4:30pm Saturday March 22. Tickets are available from The Gladstone Theatre box office, or 613.233.4523, or in person one hour prior to showtime at 910 Gladstone Ave.
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