𝗔𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲’𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿

“What better place to stage a play about astronomy than in a planetarium?” said Erin Manning, vice president of marketing for Exploration Place, via email. The planetarium features the largest dome theater in Kansas, with surround sound and a 60-foot concave screen.

Local scenic designer Jordan Slusher, whose recent gigs include Opera Kansas’ “Staggerwing” and Music Theatre Wichita’s “Something Rotten!” created projections for the show.

Lauren Gunderson’s “Silent Sky” explores a woman’s place in society as several different women negotiate a time of enormous scientific discovery. The cast features Jill Herbert as Leavitt. Baylee Braswell, Jackson Dorris, Holland Lee Kiser, and Lydia Pirilli also share the stage, and Julie Longhofer directs.

“The sky and its movement will be present throughout the show,” said Stan Longhofer, managing director for ICTRep, in an email. “The script notes, ‘The star field from the Northern Hemisphere should be almost ever-present; even if the stage lights disappear, the stars shine and cradle the set.’ We couldn’t think of a more dramatic way of doing this than in the Dome Theater. In our production, the stars will cradle the audience.”

This is the first time live theater will be staged in the dome, Manning said, though music ensembles have played there.

Curtain time for “Silent Sky” is 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. General admission tickets are $35, with discounts available for seniors and veterans.

Learn more on the ICTRep website and purchase tickets through Exploration Place.

💌

This post was first shared in one of our weekly newsletters. Subscribe__to get the latest arts and culture news in your inbox.__

Support Kansas arts writing

The SHOUT is a Wichita-based independent newsroom focused on artists living and working in Kansas. We're partly supported by the generosity of our readers, and every dollar we receive goes directly into the pocket of a contributing writer, editor, or photographer. Click here to support our work with a tax-deductible donation**.**

Yes! I want to support The SHOUT