by Christy Rodriguez de Conte

Theatre Tallahassee celebrates one of the mothers of astronomy, Henrietta Leavitt, who is brought to life with catharsis and captivating energy by actor Megan Preston in “Silent Sky.” Theatre Tallahassee is presenting the play Feb. 23 though March 10.

In this day and age, where instruments like NASA’s Webb Telescope can relay images of newly discovered galaxies, planets, and stars almost instantly, it is easy to forget the mystery the sky once held.

Before the use of photography, astronomical data was limited to what the human eye could see. Modern astronomy continued to evolve, and by the 20th century, information was increasingly stockpiled. With so much data collected, Harvard College Observatory launched its Harvard Computers team, a collection of skilled workers, primarily women, hired to analyze astronomical data.

One rising star, Henrietta Leavitt, established an unprecedented relationship between variable period (distance) and luminosity (brightness) by stacking different glass plate photos. Although she and her colleagues theorized and hypothesized to much success, their ideas were often dismissed or stolen by male colleagues in the field who also took the credit.

Her contributions to the field are captured in the play “Silent Sky,” written by Lauren Gunderson, which provides a glimpse into Henrietta Leavitt’s life, love, and incredible career.

Actor and Theatre Tallahassee veteran Megan Preston takes on the challenge of bringing Leavitt’s powerful legacy to life on stage.

For Preston, “Silent Sky” represents the limitless possibilities presented in the sky and art. Women who chose a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) continue to fight for professional legitimacy, which makes telling this story as necessary today as when Leavitt was first investigating the cosmos in the 19th century.

“There are still a lot of parallels that can be seen between the modern age and the 1900s when it comes to women in science. Not only did Henrietta and her fellow computers essentially complete the work for their fellow male coworkers, but they worked on their own time, outside of the job, to make more discoveries,” shares Preston. “They [scientists] thought the Milky Way was all we had until Henrietta broke through. I think we all need to be reminded that there is so much out there still.”

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