By Alayna Een Hanna
There are many plays out there, just as there are numerous stars in the sky, but Lauren Gunderson’s Silent Sky is especially luminous. The dialogue is powerfully written and seamlessly integrated, the message is hopeful and honest, and it is based on a true story. Maybe no one has, as of yet, written a perfect play, but this one comes close. It is a constellation of such wonderful things: the bond between sisters, women’s history, hope, discovery, loss, faith, love, purpose, passion, suffrage, music, and light. I will give it the greatest compliment I know how to form: it is poetry. And the Parker Theatre in South Salt Lake performs it admirably.
The play’s five-person cast is full of stubborn and wonderful personalities, and it is a testament to director Joanne Parker and to the actors themselves that their performances build rather than clash. Emma Widtfeldt plays the protagonist, Henrietta Leavitt, who takes a job at Harvard in the hopes of studying the heavens but instead is relegated to computing and mapping the stars. Widtfeldt captures the character’s determination and grit while allowing space for the nuances of humor, love, and regret. Jalyn Bender plays Margarette Leavitt, Henrietta’s equally stubborn sister, but she balances it with a familial softness, and there’s a relatable honesty in their interactions—and frustrations.
Henrietta’s Harvard coworkers Williamina Fleming (Hillary McChesney) and Annie Cannon (Emily Parker Holmgren) are forces of nature. McChesney is remarkable as Williamina, the Scottish matron, mastering the dialect and humor in her role. Holmgren’s Cannon is quick and blunt but clearheaded, and the three form an easy and believable kinship, united in their apparent dislike of their bumbling supervisor, Peter Shaw (William McCallister). For his part, McCallister’s Shaw is eager but awkward and never seems to know what to make of his skirt-clad colleagues, which makes for many humorous moments. But his sincere and tender-hearted interactions with Henrietta provide a natural and satisfying contrast. In the final scenes, the only time when all the actors are onstage together, a respectful—but still quippy—kinship pervades.
Director Joanne Parker’s dedication to this story is evident in every moment of the performance, and she even had the cast take Astronomy 101 classes to help them understand Leavitt’s Law and the science within the script. Contrary to the implication from the title, the music and ambient noise in Silent Sky is key to both the overall feel and the story, a responsibility Spencer Hohl (artistic director, sound designer) rises to. The sound complements James B. Parker’s set and lighting design, which uses projections on sheer curtains to cover the stage in layers of stars and constellation charts in a breathtaking heavenly display. The moments when Henrietta is held in a single spotlight but surrounded by a universe of stars are truly a triumph of storytelling and light design.
The earthbound set pieces are exceptional as well, with ornate period-appropriate props and smooth transitions. Covering two decades of clothing styles, Paige Burton’s costuming signals the shift into the 1920s for the final scenes.
As a story of light and perseverance, faith and legacy, Silent Sky is an exceptional work of art that leaves you with plenty to ponder and is appropriate for all ages. The Parker Theatre’s production honors the material and adds its own stunning stars in both the cast and crew.
Parker Theatre presents Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson
3605 South State Street, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
September 13–October 11, 2025 (Fridays at 7:30 PM and Saturdays at 3:30 & 7:30 PM)
Tickets: Adults $31, Children $22
Contact: 801-532-6000, boxoffice@parkertheatre.org
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