Campo Verde Theatre Arts brings a unique production of the acclaimed Silent Sky to the stage in September. Playwright Lauren Gunderson crafts the true story of Henrietta Leavitt, a Radcliffe-educated astronomer at the beginning of the 19th century whose pioneering research laid groundwork that led to the Hubble telescope. Leavitt joins a group of women "computer" charting the starts for a renowned astronomer who calculates projects in "girl hours" and doesn't allow them to touch the telescope or express an original idea. 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. Gunderson's play 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.