Luminosity: The Story of Henrietta Leavitt
written & performed by Erin Eva Butcher
Wednesday, April 25 at 7pm

Tickets are free with reservations recommended. RSVP Online.

Luminosity: The Story of Henrietta Leavitt was commissioned by the Lancaster Public Library. Miss Leavitt was a Lancaster native and this piece will be premiered at Lancaster’s Founders Day Celebration. Miss Leavitt, through her work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900’s, discovered the Period Luminosity Relationship of Caephid Stars which later allowed Edwin Hubble to measure the distance of stars from Earth and from each other, enabling us to begin to understand the true scale of our Universe for the first time. This piece explores her life, and contribution to Astronomy. It explores what she overcame, and how she might feel now about how far women in science have come, and how far we still have to travel to reach our full potential.

Erin Eva Butcher is a Boston based theatre artist, since moving to the Boston area in 2011 Erin has worked in the Boston Theatre Scene as an actor, producer, and costume maker. She received an Elliot Norton Award nomination in 2017 for Outstanding Actress for her portrayal of Henrietta Swan Leavitt in Silent Sky with Flat Earth Theatre and an IRNE nomination for Best Actress. Erin was Founder and Artistic Director of Maiden Phoenix Theatre Company, a local fringe theatre company committed to telling stories about women and employing at least 51% women in all productions, onstage and off. During the school year Erin performs with Deana’s Educational Theatre, a company that brings plays about healthy relationships and dating violence to area schools. She is known for her work on the one-woman show about domestic violence The Yellow Dress. All of Erin’s theatrical work is focused on giving voice to women’s stories and highlighting women’s contributions to the arts, sciences, and history.