Oregon Contemporary Theatre creates bold entertainment, challenges expectation, inspires curiosity, encourages dialogue and supports positive change. We believe theatre can transform audiences, students, artists, our community and the world around us.
Silent Sky blends humor and romance in a riveting exploration of the life and career of real-life celebrated astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868-1921), who fearlessly asserted herself in the male-driven, turn-of-the-century world of science and academia. Despite her lowly position and limited access to scientific equipment cataloging stars at Harvard University’s Observatory, Henrietta makes an amazing discovery. But will she get the credit?
Science and history mingled with a dose of feminism and romantic love, Silent Sky is by the same playwright who authored last season’s critically acclaimed I and You.
“Sheer magic.”
—San Francisco Chronicle“…the play captures Henrietta’s fervor for the poetry of the heavens, her need to know where we stand amid the vastness of existent.”
—San Jose Mercury News
Here are some resources for more about the performance:
- Performance page: http://www.octheatre.org/page_293/silent-sky
- The play’s tumblr page: http://silentskyplay.tumblr.com/
- Henrietta Swan Leavitt Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrietta_Swan_Leavitt
- theWoman Astronomer!: http://www.womanastronomer.com/
Some art and science resources of interest from Geno Franco (Production Manager):
Here’s the link to the story about the artist who re-purposes electronic waste into art:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_P-fAGnCXU
Here’s the link to the report about how science and art have helped Southern California’s economy and to the aerospace industry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz-wefbnjRk
And here’s a link to my site if it is at all useful/appropriate: