Sul Ross’ Silent Sky

By Joh Covington, Skyline Copy Chief

ALPINE – Sul Ross’ adaptation of Silent Sky, a play written by Lauren Gunderson, delighted its audiences with a historical and noteworthy tale of some remarkable women in science. The stars of the show, Olivia Marie Pertuso, Jenna Reyes, Yaritza Corona, Jaina Brooks and Justin Hinton, and their remarkable talent made the production one to remember.

In Gunderson’s play, astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, played in this adaption by Olivia Marie Pertuso, works in astronomy, a male-dominated field, alongside fellow pioneers, Annie Jump Cannon, played by Jaina Brooks, and Williamina Fleming, played by Jenna Reyes.  

Silent Sky highlights the role these three women played in the discovery and hard work that allowed for the mapping of the universe around us, something that was a complete mystery before their time. 

The arrival of this production, presented by Sul Ross’ Department of Visual and Performing Arts, was just in time for National Women’s History Month, and an excellent choice in celebrating these hidden figures of astronomy.  

While the play’s storyline was engaging and inspirational, what really shone above all else was the talent of the actors portraying these innovative women. 

Pertuso’s interpretation of Leavitt humanized and endeared an otherwise remote woman with a personal flare that allowed the audience to fall for Leavitt’s journey. Pertuso’s delivery of Leavitt’s monologues was ardent and heartfelt, lending the audience some of Leavitt’s passion. 

Pertuso has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre from Sul Ross and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in liberal arts. 

Leavitt’s sister, Margaret, played by Yaritza Corona, serves as a grounding influence and reveals a what-if view of what Leavitt’s life could have been like if she didn’t pursue her dreams in science - a life consisting of homemaker normalcy, in which Margaret found happiness, but against which Leavitt rebelled. 

Corona was the 2021 recipient of the Sul Ross Theatre Program’s Outstanding Freshman Theatre Award for Academic Achievement. She is a junior theatre major and is studying film production. 

Leavitt’s love interest in the play, Peter Shaw, played by Justin Hinton, is a fellow astronomer overseeing the work of these women, though their work surpasses his own. It should be noted that “fellow” is a strong word for a time when their work as astronomers was overlooked due to their gender. 

Hinton’s charmingly bumbling character was balanced by an underlying respect for the ferocity that these female characters displayed via the stage. Through initial dialogue, the Shaw character was shown to have those antiquated views of women's abilities in professional fields. The exchanges between Shaw and the female characters were full of humor and social awkwardness due to these cultural beliefs and his personality. Hinton’s character underwent the most development in the play as the others had a strong sense of identity and ability. Shaw’s worldview was changed throughout the play’s storyline. A character that could have easily crossed into despised territory, due to being the only male character in a play about women overcoming the patriarchy, was saved by the interpretation of a kind of natural humility that shined through in pinnacle moments.  

Hinton is a junior studying both theatre and music, and has starred in many of Sul Ross’ recent productions such as Dead Man’s Cellphone and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. 

Both of these main characters were counteracted with the hilarious and sassy characters of Cannon and Fleming, played by students Brooks and Reyes respectively. These two actresses had the viewers laughing every time they spoke. Brooks’ angry and sarcastic portrayal was perfectly balanced by Reyes’ easygoing and feisty one. 

Brooks is a junior theatre major, and Reyes is a sophomore, both pursuing acting and directing. 

Ultimately, the Sul Ross cast and crew took a play that lacks the dynamic presence of soaring climaxes and overwhelming odds, and made into a delightful and memorable audience favorite, leaving them hungry for more of the department’s productions.