Although Silent Sky is based on real events and people, Lauren Gunderson adds characters and embellishes historical facts in her work. One of those characters is Peter Shaw, Henrietta’s love interest and fellow astronomer at the Harvard Observatory. As the only male in the play, he serves as a sort of representation of all men in the early 20th century.

In our production of Silent Sky, Matthew Walker has tried Peter Shaw on for size and has discovered the psyche of the early modern male. Although he says he identifies more with “the pro-women message, more so than with the character [he plays],” throughout rehearsals he has come to better understand Peter. Specifically, he says he identifies with Peter’s “bumbling and awkward” manner (don’t we all).  Matt has also come to understand that Peter has been pushed around and led a life that is not all his own; his father dictated his career path and the woman he eventually married. Although Matt does not that he wouldn’t consider Peter “a victim of his circumstances, because like anybody you can make your own choices.”

As the “voice of the modern early 20th-century man,” Peter often presents anti-feminist thoughts. However, this is a fairly accurate representation of how many men felt towards women during this time. Peter’s ideals are challenged by Henrietta though when he comes to realize how much she can do. Matt notes that Peter “gets easily infatuated, falls in love with this person that he met that he recognizes as an equal and maybe something more than an equal,” which comes to help him realize women are capable of more than he expected.

Overall, Matt spoke highly of the message presented in Silent Sky. When asked why this play is important to produce right now, he says, “With the current political climate and the current president [elect], I think it’s very important to do a play that is certainly pro-feminist and pro-women in the workplace.”