Silent Sky by Lauren Cunningham

Silent
Sky

Thursday | 7:00 p.m.
Fri / Sat | 7:30 p.m.
Sunday | 3:00 p.m.

April 7-10, 2022 events.dom.edu

SILENT SKY Tickets $18
DU Students FREE
By Lauren Gunderson

The true story of 19th-century astronomer BOX OFFICE
Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place (708) 488-5000
in society during a time of immense scientific
discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed FREE PARKING
until men claimed credit for them.
7900 WEST DIVISION STREET
“...resonant, humor-buoyed drama...” RIVER FOREST, IL 60305
—The Washington Post
2021 | 2022
An inspiring drama about the determination,
passion and sacrifice of the women who redefined
our understanding of the cosmos.

about the play

“In our troubled days it is good to have
something outside our planet, something fine
and distant for comfort.”

- Annie Jump Cannon

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 videotaping or other video or audio recording of this
performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited.

Dominican University Performing Arts Center is partially funded by
the Oak Park Area Arts Council, in partnership with the Villages of Oak
Park, Forest Park, and River Forest, and the Illinois Arts Council, a state
agency.

and
Theatre Arts department

proudly present

by Lauren Gunderson

Director
Robin M. Hughes*

Scenic and Lighting Design Costume Design
Bill Jenkins Emma Brandenburger

Projection Design Sound Design
Javier Carmona Rob Tobin

Stage Manager
Maryah Paige

Silent Sky is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc. New York.
Commissioned and first produced by South Coast Repertory
with support from the Elizabeth George Foundation.

about the playwright

Lauren Gunderson has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015,
topping the list twice including 2019/20. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA
New Play Award for I and You and The Book of Will, the winner of the Lanford Wilson
Award and the Otis Guernsey New Voices Award, a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn
Prize and John Gassner Award for Playwriting, and a recipient of the Mellon Foundation’s
Residency with Marin Theatre Company. She studied Southern Literature and Drama at
Emory University, and Dramatic Writing at NYU’s Tisch School where she was a Reynolds
Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship. Her newest play The Catastrophist, about her husband
virologist Nathan Wolfe, premiered digitally in January 2021. She co-authored the Miss
Bennet plays with Margot Melcon, and her audioplay The Half-Life of Marie Curie is
available on Audible.com. Her work is published at Playscripts (I and You, Exit Pursued by
a Bear, The Taming, and Toil and Trouble), Dramatists Play Service (The Revolutionists,
The Book of Will, Silent Sky, Bauer, Natural Shocks, The Wickhams, and Miss Bennet)
and Samuel French (Emilie). Her picture book “Dr. Wonderful: Blast Off to the Moon” is
available from Two Lions/Amazon. She is currently developing musicals with Ari Afsar,
Dave Stewart and Joss Stone, and Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk.

LaurenGunderson.com

SPECIAL THANKS to Lauren Gunderson for providing resource packets.

production staff

Director..........................................................................................................Robin M. Hughes
Scenic and Lighting Designer................................................................................. Bill Jenkins
Costume Designer................................................................................... Emma Brandenburger
Projection Designer.......................................................................................... Javier Carmona
Sound Designer..........................................................................................................Rob Tobin
Properties Designer/Technical Director..............................................................Jeremiah Barr
Dialect Coach....................................................................................................... Bethany Hart
Intimacy Coach.................................................................................................... Christa Retka
Production Manager......................................................................................Samantha K. Barr
Stage Manager/Light and Sound Operator.. ........................................................ Maryah Paige
Assistant Stage Manager..................................................................................... Nadine Young
Costume Shop Manager...................................................................................... Janelle Manno
Dramaturg............................................................................................................Kamil Orozco
3

setting ——ACT ONE——

Scene 1 Rural Massachusetts... about 1900
Scene 2 The Harvard Observatory
Scene 3 The Observatory - around 1905
Scene 4 The Leavitt home
Scene 5 The Leavitt home

10-minute intermission

——ACT TWO——

Scene 1 An ocean liner - December, 1910
Scene 2 An ocean liner
Scene 3 An office in the observatory
Scene 4 Cambridge, Massachusetts - around 1918
Scene 5 Epilogue

cast

Henrietta Leavitt......................................................................................................Katy Agans
Margaret Leavitt.................................................................................................. Carlie Merola
Peter Shaw........................................................................................................ Miguel Salgado
Annie Jump Cannon............................................................................................... Anna Meyer
Williamina Fleming............................................................................................. Olivia Haynes

Understudies

Henrietta Leavitt....................................................................................................Rachel Esser
Margaret Leavitt.................................................................................................. Anisa Rosado
Peter Shaw.................................................................................................... Rodrigo Gonzalez
Annie Jump Cannon............................................................................................ Jenny Yaccino
Williamina Fleming............................................................................................. Jenny Yaccino

4

cast profiles

Katy Agans (Henrietta Leavitt) is thrilled to be a part of Dominican University’s production of
Silent Sky. Katy is a student at Dominican majoring in theater arts and digital journalism. She
would like to thank her friends and family for their endless support!

Rachel Esser (understudy) is a freshman at Dominican University and is extremely thankful to
have gotten the opportunity to understudy Henrietta! Favorite roles include Lisa (Mamma Mia),
Robin Starveling (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and Christmas Past/Present (Christmas Carol).
She would like to thank the amazing cast, crew, and director, as well as her friends and family for
all their support. Enjoy the show!

Rodrigo Gonzalez (understudy) is very excited to be joining Dominican University in Silent Sky.
Rodrigo has worked previously at Dominican with The Actors Garden, a marvelous acting studio
in Oak Park. This is his first return to theatre and is very excited to continue his acting journey once
more. He hopes everyone breaks many legs.

Olivia BZ Haynes (Williamina Fleming) is currently pursuing a major in theatre arts at Dominican
University. She is excited to be in another Dominican University play, appearing in this period
piece based on real, historical, inspiring figures.

Carlie Merola (Margaret Leavitt) is a junior at Dominican University studying theater
performance, photo-cinema, and graphic design. She is so excited to be part of her third show at
Dominican and wants to thank everyone in the theater program for their dedication to Silent Sky.
She is also so grateful for the support and love from her amazing family and friends. She hopes the
show inspires you to shoot for the stars!

Anna Meyer (Annie Jump Cannon) has been in various community theatre productions back in
Mississippi. At Dominican University, she has been a part of the ensemble in Mamma Mia! and
played the role of Gabby in She Kills Monsters. She’d like to give thanks to her parents for raising
her, Robin Hughes for giving her a chance to be in this production, and all of her wonderful cast
mates for making this such a fun and enjoyable process.

Anisa Rosado (understudy) is a freshman at Dominican University and is majoring in
communications and Black world studies. She enjoys dancing and traveling. Silent Sky is Anisa’s
second show at DU and she is excited to participate in many more. Special thanks to her family,
friends, castmates, and production staff for their support and guidance.

Miguel Salgado (Peter Shaw) is thrilled to make his acting debut on the Dominican University
stage. Being an alumnus of the theatre program, he has been backstage for past productions, such as
Mamma Mia! and She Kills Monsters. Miguel thanks everyone for such a memorable experience.
They are a tremendously talented group. Miguel is a current graduate student at Dominican
University, studying library and information science, yet still carries an unrelenting love for the
stage.

Jenny Yaccino (understudy) is a theater veteran who has been performing in various operettas,
musicals, and plays since the age of six. Some of her notable roles are Scuttle the Seagull in The
Little Mermaid, Essie in You Can’t Take It with You, Wiesel in the second ever all-girls production
of Newsies, and multiple roles including Messenger in the world-premiere of The Morrigan. Jenny
is also a former competition dancer, whose specialty is tap dance.

5

production staff profiles

Jeremiah Barr (Properties Designer/Technical Director) serves as the Technical Director for
Theatre Arts. Some of his previous credits include Mamma Mia, She Kills Monsters, You Will
be Found, Chamber Music, 9 to 5-the Musical, Romeo & Juliet and The Seagull (Dominican
University), 1984, Time Stands Still, and The Blackslot (AstonRep), and Shockheaded Peter
(Black Button Eyes). Jeremiah also serves as the technical director of AstonRep Theater Company,
Promethean Theater Ensemble, and Fenton High School. A very special thanks to Samantha for all
her love and support.

Samantha K. Barr (Production Manager) is thrilled to be working with such a fine cast and crew
at Dominican University. When not at DU, Sam is often found working with AstonRep Theater
Co, light designing around Chicago, and working with many orchestras. Sam would like thank her
peers here at DU, and as always Jer and Doc and Scout.

Emma Brandenburger (Costume Designer) Emma is in her fourth year at Dominican as a
double major in fashion design and theatre arts. She has previously costume designed Dominican
University’s productions Proof and You Will Be Found: Songs and Scenes Amidst Uncertainty. She
is especially excited about her work with Silent Sky because it is the first time her designs will be
seen live onstage. Emma would like to give a big thank you to everyone who helped support her
with this project, especially her friends and family.

Javier Carmona (Projection Designer) is an actor, filmmaker and photographer. He has performed
in Chicago with Invictus Theatre, The Artistic Home, AstonRep and 16th Street Theatre Company,
amongst others. Recently, he co-starred on NBC’s Chicago P.D. Exhibitions include Hyde Park
Arts Center Chicago, Traeger & Pinto Contemporary Art, Mexico City and with IVY NODE,
Nurri, Sardinia. He has been a student of The Actors’ Space, Barcelona and Victory Garden Theatre
Conservatory, Chicago. Carmona received his MFA from the University of New Mexico and his
BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Carmona is represented by Actors Talent
Group, Chicago.

Bethany Hart (Dialect Coach) is originally from Washington State and a recent addition to
the Chicago theatre scene. She has directed for the educational outreach program at Illinois
State University, and has recently assisted with both directing and text coaching at the Illinois
Shakespeare Festival, Washington State University, Little Things Productions, and worked on
dialects with Heartland Theatre, Vanderbilt University, Illinois Wesleyan University, and more. She
works artistically as a voiceover artist, and most recently with BBC award-winning HartLifeNFP.

Robin M. Hughes* (Director) is a proud member of the Dominican University family where her
directing credits include Extremities, Toys in the Attic, and A Doll’s House and acting credits are
Romeo & Juliet (Friar), Our Town (Stage Manager), and Dead Man Walking (Sister Prejean). A
Steppenwolf Fellowship Recipient, Robin worked on Sideman, Hysteria, The Ballad of Little Jo,
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Orson’s Shadow. Select credits: Guthrie, Victory Gardens,
Metropolis, Little Theatre On the Square, Williams Street Rep, Griffin, Circle, Light Opera Works,
Bailiwick, and Mary-Arrchie. Select directing credits include A Chorus Line, Emma, Tenderly:
The Rosemary Clooney Musical, Accomplice, Into the Woods, Love Letters, Young Frankenstein,
Spamalot!, Andrews Brothers, Lend Me a Tenor, Pump Boys & Dinettes, and Steel Magnolias.
Robin is a graduate of the Steppenwolf School and is an AEA candidate and a full union member of
the Society of Directors and Choreographers.

6

production staff profiles

Bill Jenkins (Scenic and Lighting Designer) has worked as a scenic and lighting designer,
technical director and theatre consultant for decades, designing hundreds of productions ranging
from dance to opera to theatre. He received his MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University
and also taught for ten years at Virginia Union University. Bill is the author and self-publisher of
the acclaimed book, What to Do When the Police Leave: A Guide to the First Days of Traumatic
Loss, based on his personal experience as the father of a homicide victim. He and his wife, Jennifer
Bishop, are active in human rights and social justice arenas. He serves on several boards of
directors for anti-gun violence and anti-death penalty organization and is a sought-after speaker on
those issues.

Janelle Manno (Costume Shop Manager) is a proud member of the Chicago Costume Community,
and has enjoyed working at many Chicago-area theatres including Paramount, Steppenwolf,
and Writers Theatre. This is Janelle’s fourth show as the Costume Shop Manager at Dominican
University. Recently she has dabbled in costume design for local area high school productions.
Janelle would like to acknowledge the love and support of her family and friends, especially: Ali,
Luka & Toño.

Kamil Orozco (Dramaturg) is a senior studying environmental science and theatre arts. Silent Sky
will be her last production involvement at Dominican as an undergraduate. Kamil gives thanks to
the creative team and now, life-long friends who have supported her unconditionally these past
four years. Kamil also thanks director Robin Hughes for the opportunity to dabble in research
within the realm of her science discipline. Feel free to ask her some questions about the show!

Maryah Paige (Stage Manager) is excited to be the stage manager for this production of Silent
Sky! Maryah is a current Dominican University student, in their third year, striving for their
bachelor’s degree in theatre arts. They are an upcoming stage manager in the Chicago theatre
scene. Maryah is happy that they had the opportunity to watch this show grow and happy it is now
on stage! Enjoy!

Christa Retka (Intimacy Coach) is a stage director and intimacy director based out of the Chicago
area. Previously, she worked with MadKap Productions as an intimacy director for Anyone Can
Whistle and with Redtwist Theatre as a stage manager on The Humans and Collected Stories. She
is currently working with Metropolis Performing Arts Center as the assistant director for Shout!
The Mod Musical. Some of her favorite projects have included directing and intimacy directing
This is War and Hand to God with Theatrix.

Rob Tobin (Sound Director) is an actor, director, and sound designer residing in the Chicago area.
He has worked with theatres such as Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Steppenwolf, First Folio, Oak
Park Festival Theatre, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival among many
others, including and especially twenty-six shows with his company AstonRep Theatre Company.
His last work with Dominican University was sound design for On The Verge. Enjoy the show!!

special appreciation

Special thanks to all of the student employees in the
Box Office, Scene Shop, and Costume Shop.

7

about henrietta leavitt

Henrietta Swan Leavitt, (born July 4, 1868, Lancaster,
Massachusetts, U.S.—died December 12, 1921,
Cambridge, Massachusetts), American astronomer
known for her discovery of the relationship between
period and luminosity in Cepheid variables, pulsating
stars that vary regularly in brightness in periods ranging
from a few days to several months.

Leavitt attended Oberlin College for two years
(1886–88) and then transferred to the Society for
the Collegiate Instruction of Women (later Radcliffe
College), from which she graduated in 1892. Following
an interest aroused in her senior year, she became a
volunteer assistant in the Harvard Observatory in 1895.
In 1902 she received a permanent staff appointment.

Her discovery, which she produced from studying some 1,777 variable stars recorded on
Harvard’s photographic plates, is known as the “period–luminosity relationship” or “Leavitt’s
law”.

Leavitt also developed and continued to refine the Harvard Standard for photographic
measurements, a logarithmic scale that orders stars by brightness over 17 magnitudes. She
initially analyzed 299 plates from 13 telescopes to construct her scale, which was accepted by
the International Committee of Photographic Magnitudes in 1913.

Awards and honors: The asteroid 5383 Leavitt and the crater Leavitt on the Moon are named
after her to honor deaf men and women who have worked as astronomers. Unaware of her
death four years prior, the Swedish mathematician Gösta Mittag-Leffler considered nominating
her for the 1926 Nobel Prize in Physics, and wrote to Harlow Shapley (head of the Harvard
College Observatory from 1921–1952) requesting more information on her work on Cepheid
variables, offering to send her his monograph on Sofia Kovalevskaya. Shapley replied, letting
Mittag-Leffler know that Leavitt had died, and suggesting that the true credit belonged to his
(Shapley’s) interpretation of her findings. She was never nominated, because the Nobel Prize is
not awarded posthumously.

Leavitt never earned fame in her own lifetime, nor a fancy telescope namesake afterward. But
when looking up at the night skies, it’s worth remembering that she is part of the reason we have
a three-dimensional map of the skies, instead of the flat picture that sustained humans for so
much of our history.

Read more at scientificwomen.net or aavso.org

8

staff

DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY
Glena G. Temple......................................................................................................................President
Jeffrey Carlson........................................................................................................................... Provost
Sara Acosta........................................................................Vice President for University Advancement
Genaro Balcazar....................................... Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing
Todd Kleine........................................................... Interim Vice President for Information Technology
Claire Noonan........................................................................Vice President for Mission and Planning
Precious Porras........................................................Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Barrington Price.................................................. Vice President for Student Success and Engagement
Mark Titzer.........................................................................Vice President for Finance and Operations

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Leslie Rodriguez...................................................................................................... Executive Director
Krista Hansen........................................................................Artistic Director, Theatre Arts Lab Series
Samantha K. Barr....................................................................................................Operations Director
Patrick Serrano............................................................................................... Patron Services Manager

THEATRE ARTS DEPARTMENT
Chad Rohman.....................................................................Dean, Rosary College of Arts and Sciences
Krista Hansen....................................................................Chair and Associate Professor, Theatre Arts
Bill Jenkins....................................................................................... Associate Professor, Theatre Arts
Dyanna Daniels, Robin M. Hughes............................................................................................Faculty
Samantha K. Barr...................................................................................................Production Manager
Jeremiah Barr............................................................................................................Technical Director
Janelle Manno..................................................................................................Costume Shop Manager

STUDENT STAFF Costume Shop Crew Box Office Crew
Emma Brandenburger Nayla Colon
Scene Shop Crew Epiphany Esparza Maggie Curtin
Katy Agans Kathryn Greenlea Marithza Maravilla
Denise Contreras Sofia Olvera-Sandoval
Carlie Merola Lisset Rodriguez-Carrera
Kamil Orozco Liliana Serrano
Maryah Paige Fabian Sevilla
Miguel Salgado Jr Maddie Vargas
Nadine Young Allie Wright

9

about dupac

ABOUT DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Dominican University Performing Arts Center is dedicated to artistic excellence, bringing
multiticultural programming with a distinctive, learning-centered focus to a wide and diverse
audience. The five guiding principles of the Dominican University Performing Arts Center are:
excellence (to work with and develop artists of quality, vision and integrity); diversity (to develop
programming that explores different cultures, genres and time periods in order to engage a varied
audience); education (to provide experiences that challenge individuals to grow); public presence
(to increase prominence and attendance); and fiscal vitality (to provide for long-term growth and
stability).

ABOUT DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution
offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees through the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences, the
Brennan School of Business, the Borra College of Health Sciences, and the College of Applied
Social Sciences. The university also offers a doctoral degree in library and information science.
In the 2022 issue of America’s Best Colleges, U.S. News & World Report ranked Dominican
University #10 of all Midwest regional master’s level universities. The magazine also ranked
Dominican as the best value in the State of Illinois.

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THE PRESIDENT’S HOLIDAY CONCERT
Silent Sky
A Carpenters Christmas
by Lauren Gunderson

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In support of student scholarships

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