Who are you and what is your role on this production? My name is Susanne Ritchie and I am playing the role of Williamina Fleming, one of the human “computers” of Harvard University. She began as a teacher before circumstances had her working as a maid and then eventually as one of the developers of a star classification system.
What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? All of my theatre training has been onstage. My first community theatre production was with the Walterdale Theatre in 1985 (The Skin of Our Teeth) when I was in Junior High School. I was part of three more Walterdale productions before moving to Leduc and joining the Leduc Drama Society in 1996. I have taken on a variety of characters (Major-General’s daughter, French stripper – Bedfull of Foreigners; Chelsea – On Golden Pond; Grandma Addams, and others) in all types of shows (dramas, comedies, musicals). Most recently, I was in this year’s Fringe, murdered on stage last fall in Devon, and competed in last year’s ADFA One Act Festival.
What brought you out for this show? The topic of astronomy is close to my heart as my parents have both worked in that field. My father taught Astronomy at the U of A and was the President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. My mother worked as a research assistant (similar to the human ‘computers’) at the David Dunlap Observatory in Toronto. I had also wanted to return to the Walterdale stage for a long time and this seemed like the perfect production to audition for.
Why do you think people should come see this show? These women refused to hide behind the men who claimed the accolades for their hard work. They knew what they were worth and persevered until they were properly recognized. I think people should see this show to see how far we’ve come in terms of technology and societal limitations – and to realize how far we still have yet to go.
As this show deals with women in science who have been overlooked, who is your favourite female scientist that you think history hasn’t recognized? Dorothy Hodgkin was the only British woman to received a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. She discovered the atomic structure of penicillin in 1945 and deciphered the structure of insulin in 1969, a project that was delayed until she refined x-ray crystallography techniques. This latter work “allowed greater understanding of the [insulin] molecule and improved treatment for diabetics”. [http://www.rsc.org/diversity/175-faces/all-faces/dorothy-hodgkin-om-frs/] With diabetes having impacted myself and a few members of my family, I am especially grateful for her work.
