Silent Sky – Theatre Preview

Posted on by Tim Vant

Silent Sky – Preview/Review

The vastness of time and space make up some of the subject matter of “Silent Sky” by Lauren Gunderson. This Astronomy inspired trip is currently on stage at Studio Theatre.  Set at the iconic ivy league Harvard in the early 1900’s this serene piece takes us to an observatory on the brink of discovery.IMG_20200223_2020051

I was lucky enough to see the first half and a runthrough of the tail end of the show in rehearsals leading up to opening on March 4th.  It is clear that this particular production will have a “wow” factor.  Wonderfully staged by the steady hand of Kirsten Lyons, the story unfolds effortlessly and is seamlessly strung together with perfectly chosen transition music.

A love story at it’s core, Silent Sky promises to delight with many deeply touching moments and hearty laughs.

Studio theatre vetran Sharon Hoffman uses her decades of experience to tackle a Scottish character with equal humour and severity.

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Neil Matoga’s quirky portrayal perfectly captures the story of a somewhat serious character (Peter Shaw) who finds himself wading in the quagmire called love.  His bumbling and fumbling as he woos Henrietta Swan Leavitt will bring hearty laughs and merriment to patrons.

Kudos must go to costume designer Christa Obergfell for her amazing costuming skills.  Hats off to another well clothed cast.

Perhaps the real star of this production is the set and design.  Sheryl-Lynn Lewis uses her decades of devotion and experience both onstage and off to hit this one well out of the stratosphere.  The floor of the stage might be the most phenomenal set painting you’ve ever seen and is enhanced by moody lighting and well placed accents.

Tannis Armstrong is a standout and leads this adept cast with a grace and ease which rests somewhere between naturalism and dream sequence.  Her performance is sure to touch many hearts.

If you see one play in 2020 go see Silent Sky.  I would give this 7 out of 7 stars if I could.nebula

Silent Sky plays March 4th – 21st at WILLIAMS LAKE STUDIO THEATRE

Tickets are around $20 and are available at KIT AND (don’t touch the ferris wheel) KABOODLE

 

 

Published by Tim Vant

Tim is a multi-disciplinary artist editor & author who has been involved in several different forms of expression. Tim has appeared in commercial and artistic productions in Canada. He has worked for Rogers Media, Sun Television and the Weather Network to name a few. He has also held many humble jobs and you may see him wear many hats. Tim studied Theatre pre and post secondary and exels in the Musical Theatre Genre. He attended Grant MacEwan University and continued to travel East. After studying comedy at the Second City in Toronto and going deep into the underground comedy scene Tim traversed back West to pursue being a straight man. He is from British Columbia, Canada and may have coined the term; metaphysical comedy.

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