Inspired by the true story of a trailblazing astronomer, ‘Silent Sky’ will open Oct. 3 at University Theatre
Art and science share common spirit of curiosity and courage in KU Theatre & Dance's season opener
LAWRENCE — University Theatre opens its 2025-26 season with “Silent Sky,” playing one weekend only — Oct. 3-5 — in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre at Murphy Hall at the University of Kansas. Lauren Gunderson’s play tells the story of astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt, whose research led to a shift in understanding the universe, most notably that the Milky Way was not at the center of it.
Leavitt’s research at the Harvard Observatory eventually benefited technologies like the Hubble and James Webb telescopes. She also found ways to break through the strict social customs of the early 1900s and adapted to going deaf while continuing her important research, both also themes in the play.
“When this work was first published in 2015 and even when the Department of Theatre & Dance selected this title last year, we could not have foreseen how timely this would be as we endure an assault on the arts and sciences,” said KU lecturer Michelle Miller, who will direct the film. “Science reveals the mechanics of the universe, while the arts ascribe meaning to it. In this show, we are amplifying Leavitt's voice but also those of women recently scrubbed from NASA and other scientific websites, as we join forces with the KU Physics & Astronomy professors and students to bring historical and scientific fact into rehearsals and lobby displays.”
An American Sign Language-interpreted performance will be offered at the 2 p.m. Oct. 4 performance. The Department of Physics & Astronomy will have public telescope viewings following each performance, including a solar telescope for the matinees, outside of Murphy Hall. The Crafton-Preyer Theatre lobby will feature displays featuring women in science.
Tickets to “Silent Sky” can be purchased via the show's web page, in person noon-5 p.m. at the box office in Murphy Hall or by calling 785-864-3982.
The creative team is rounded out by Jordan Malone, a freelance designer and technician and technical director/production manager for Johnson County Community College, as scenic designer; Lacey Marr, a junior in theatre design from Shawnee, as costume designer; Ann Sitzman, KU lecturer and technical coordinator, as lighting designer; Hana Rose North, a senior in theatre design from Salina, as sound designer; Rhea Penny, an MFA student in scenography from Oxford, as projections designer; Bella Black, a senior in math and the accelerated economics master’s program from Overland Park, as props designer; and Alexia “AJ” Watson, a senior in film & media studies from Ingalls, as stage manager.
The cast is composed of Katelyn Arnold, a senior in theatre performance from Topeka, as Henrietta Leavitt; Isabelle Fonte, a sophomore in exercise science from Mahomet, Illinois, as Margaret Leavitt; Caden Moffitt, a junior in theatre and journalism from Overland Park, as Peter Shaw; Morgan Tate, a junior in theatre from Shawnee, as Annie Jump Cannon; and Grace Couldry, a sophomore in theatre performance from Shawnee, as Williamina Fleming. The show’s understudies are River Becker, a junior in social work from Wichita; Coria Chaloupecky, a sophomore in theatre and journalism from West Des Moines, Iowa; Cade Nelson, a sophomore in theatre from Topeka; Camryn Purtle, a sophomore in theatre design from Harrisonville, Missouri; and Sara Schumacher, a sophomore in molecular biology from Overland Park.
Miller is a service-driven storyteller, singer, director, actor and writer, but her greatest love is teaching. Previously at KU, she directed the original musical “Milking Christmas” by Ryan McCall and Friend Dog Studios. Miller has seven Emmy nominations for her work with Rocky Mountain PBS, has sung with the Boston Pops under John Williams, performed at Lincoln Center, Fenway Park and the Vatican for Pope John Paul II, and she has collaborated with multiple Tony-winning composers on new works. Miller teaches Musical Theatre and has also taught Voice and Speech and Acting II.
The University Theatre is a production wing of the Department of Theatre & Dance, offering public productions during the academic year. Established in 1923, the Department of Theatre merged with the Department of Dance in 2018. The University Theatre season is funded in part by Student Senate fees. Additional support is provided by Truity Credit Union.
The department is one of three departments in the School of the Arts. As part of the KU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the School of the Arts offers fresh possibilities for collaboration between the arts and the humanities, sciences, social sciences, international and interdisciplinary studies.