Stagecrafters’ ‘Silent Sky’ tells the tale of a pioneering woman in science – Macomb Daily

Autumn Thiellesen portrays scientist Henrietta Leavitt and Jonathan Kind portrays Peter Shaw in “Silent Sky,” being performed May 3-12 at the Baldwin Theater in Royal Oak. (Photo courtesy of Bureau Detroit)

Stagecrafters in Royal Oak is gearing up to present a special show, “Silent Sky,” from May 3-12 at the Baldwin Theater’s second stage.

The play follows the true story of early 20th-century female “computers” at Harvard Observatory. Scientist Henrietta Leavitt maps distant stars, but this is the year 1900 and the pioneer needs to fight for respect and recognition among her male peers.

John W. Rutherford, 56, of Rochester Hills is directing Stagecrafters’ production of “Silent Sky.” It’s his first time being involved with Stagecrafters and directing with the company, so he’s extra excited.

“I read the play and thought it was just such a powerful story,” he says. “The dialogue is so well written. Lauren Gunderson penned a masterpiece. She finds the right words and arranges them to be funny, touching, powerful and inspiring. Being able to flesh out the story with stellar actors and stage it in a way that makes the audience feel as much as they think. That is my mission as a director.”

Rutherford’s first experience in theater was in seventh grade at North Junior High School in Saginaw, when he was enrolled in an arts exploration course. Every nine weeks, they switched to different arts courses.

“When I got to the theater class, I fell in love with it,” he says.

He auditioned for the school play, “The Bad Children,” and was cast as the understudy for the role of Hansel. He never performed the role, but didn’t care because he was “just so happy to be part of something so fun and creative.”

Rutherford says the message of “Silent Sky” is very relevant today.

“There are so many overlooked and unheard of people who made our world what it is,” he says. “I started my career as a history teacher and I found myself always most interested in what I refer to as ‘the people’s history.’ What were the normal people doing at the time? We spend so much time exploring what the world leaders and celebrities are doing, I think we miss the real impact of history.”

He adds: “This story, while about a woman, is important not just because she is a woman. It’s important because she changed the course of space exploration and discovery and hardly anyone knows about her.”

Rutherford says that not only is the story of “Silent Sky” fantastic, but so is the writing of the story.

“Dialogue and character come together to tell a compelling story that reels you in and makes you want to know more,” he says. “When the performance ends and you find yourself moved by the content, you laugh, you cry, you are surprised and you are cheering for a character, you have the perfect play.”

He said he loves the volunteers and facilities at Stagecrafters, plus the talent pool.

“The talent that the cast and crew bring to their work is top-notch,” he says. “We’re all working to elevate this script to its highest potential. We want the audience to feel like seeing this show was a meaningful use of their time and that this was a high-value experience. It really takes the entire team at Stagecrafters to combine our talents to make this show the outstanding performance it promises to be.”

Find tickets and more information at stagecrafters.org.