Meet the Cast: Silent Sky
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is excited to announce the cast of Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson, directed by Melinda Pfundstein.
Telling the true story of nineteenth century scientist Henrietta Leavitt, the play is a celebration of science, family, discovery, female achievement, and the light in all of us.
“I hope this story inspires our audience to consider the wonder in their own lives. The relationships they hold dear, and the legacy they hope to leave through the expression of their own light in the world,” Pfundstein said. “I believe that this play is an invitation to do just that.”
The cast is as follows:
Katie Cunningham is returning to the Festival as Henrietta Leavitt in Silent Sky. Previous roles at the Festival include Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Rebecca Heminges in The Book of Will, Maria in Twelfth Night, and more. Off-Broadway credits include those at The Actors’ Company Theatre. Other credits include eleven seasons at Clarence Brown Theatre, Asolo Rep, PlayMakers Rep, and more. She received a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Florida State University and a bachelor of arts degree from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Cunningham is an Assistant Professor of Theatre and Head of Acting at University of Tennessee, Knoxville and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Kat Lee is returning to the Festival as Margaret Leavitt in Silent Sky. Previous roles at the Festival include Mrs. Weston in Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical, Lady Montague in Romeo and Juliet, and Ensemble in Ragtime and The Greenshow. Other credits include A Christmas Carol at Denver Center, Clue at Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Into The Breeches at Lyric Repertory Theatre, and more. Lee received the Festival’s 2023 Michael and Jan Finlayson Actor Award. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Otterbein University.
Abdul-Khaliq Murtadha is debuting at the Festival as Peter Shaw in Silent Sky and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in The Mountaintop. He has performed at LaJolla Playhouse, Seattle Rep, and Asolo Rep, and many others. Television credits include Days of Our Lives, NCIS-LA, All My Children, and more. Film credits include Shirley (starring Regina King) and 8989 Redstone. Murtadha is a founding member of Africana Repertory Theatre of IU Indianapolis, an ensemble member of the Fonseca Theatre Company, and on the artistic board of Crescent City Stage in New Orleans. Awards include Best Actor at the New Orleans Short Film Festival and the NAACP Award for Best Ensemble at The Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles. He is an Assistant Professor in the BFA Acting program and Co-Artistic Director of The Mosaic Theatre Company at Auburn University. Murtadha received a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University and Master of Fine Arts from University of California, San Diego. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Alia Shakira is debuting at the Festival as Annie Cannon in Silent Sky and Camae in The Mountaintop. Other credits include The House That Will Not Stand at Horizon Theater, A Lady and A Woman at Impact Theater, numerous plays at New Federal Theatre, and more. Television credits include The First Lady, The Come Up, Woke, and the film The Color Purple. Shakira received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from Howard University and is thrilled to be making her Festival debut.
Sarah Shippobotham is returning to the Festival as Williamina Fleming in Silent Sky. She previously played Duchess of York in Richard III and multiple roles in Pericles, The Comedy of Errors, and The Conclusion of Henry VI: Parts Two and Three at the Festival. She recently wrote and performed in the world premiere of her one-woman show Can I Say Yes to That Dress at Salt Lake Acting Company. She has worked as a voice and dialect coach at the Shaw Festival for eighteen years and as a dialect coach at Pioneer Theatre Company. She received her education at the Royal Central School of Music and Drama in London and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales, and is thrilled to be back for another season.
Produced in the intimate Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre, Silent Sky previews July 12 and runs until October 5. Visit bard.org to purchase tickets.
