- Who are you and what is your role in this production? My name is Sam Woolsey and I am portraying Annie Cannon, an American astronomer whose work was instrumental in the development of contemporary stellar classification. With Edward C. Pickering, she is credited with the creation of the Harvard Classification Scheme, which was the first serious attempt to organize and classify stars based on their temperatures and spectral types.
2. What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I did a bit of theatre in high school and then a few years ago decided to explore it further. I signed up for several classes offered in the community and then just started auditioning. Silent Sky is my 5th production with the Walterdale Theatre.
3. What brought you out for this show? I thought the script was lovely and I really wanted to work with (Director) Kim Mattice Wanat!
4. Why do you think people should come see this show? I love the relationships amongst the characters and how the script brings such a human element to the history. These were real people struggling with problems in a culture that prescribed very traditional roles and expectations upon both men and women. I think the actors have developed a wonderful chemistry that shows on the stage, and the story evokes a wistful sense of wonder and sadness.
5. 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?
Rachel Carson was an American Marine Biologist who many Canadians might not remember. She wrote a book in 1962 called Silent Spring that has been credited with beginning the movement to protect the environment from contamination through unregulated use of chemicals. Her book brought environmental concerns to the forefront of the global stage. Although Silent Spring was met with fierce opposition by chemical companies, it spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy, which led to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides. It also inspired a grassroots environmental movement that led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which under President Trump is facing considerable rollbacks and reversals of environmental protection policies.