Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2019
Volume 64, Number 3
Saturday–Tuesday, April 13–16, 2019; Denver, Colorado
Session M27: A Staged Reading of the Play: Silent Sky |
Hide Abstracts |
Sponsoring Units: FHP Room: Sheraton Grand Ballroom 1 |
Sunday, April 14, 2019 8:00PM - 9:30PM |
M27.00001: A Staged Reading of the Play: Silent Sky Brian Schwartz, Smitha Vishveshwara The play Silent Sky is based on the true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt as she experiences 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. When Henrietta Leavitt begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, she is not 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 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, balancing her dedication to science with family ties and the possibility of love. Playwright Lauren Gunderson, from Atlanta, received her BA in English/Creative Writing at Emory University, and her MFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch. She was named the most produced playwright in America by American Theatre Magazine for the 2017-18 season and was awarded the 2016 Lanford Wilson Award from the Dramatist Guild. The staged reading is directed by Kate Marie Folkins who directed a full production of the play in April 2017 with Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company. Some of the play’s actors as well as a historian-scientist will be available for a talkback discussion after the play reading. Produced by Brian Schwartz, CUNY and Smitha Vishveshwara, University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign. Co-Sponsored by: The Forum on Outreach and Engaging the Public, The Forum on Physics and Society, The Forum on Education, The Committee on the Status of Women in Physics, and The Division of Astrophysics. |
Follow Us |
Engage
Become an APS Member |
My APS
Renew Membership |
Information for |
About APSThe American Physical Society (APS) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance the knowledge of physics. |
© 2024 American Physical Society
| All rights reserved | Terms of Use
| Contact Us
Headquarters
1 Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844
(301) 209-3200
Editorial Office
100 Motor Pkwy, Suite 110, Hauppauge, NY 11788
(631) 591-4000
Office of Public Affairs
529 14th St NW, Suite 1050, Washington, D.C. 20045-2001
(202) 662-8700