In October 2025, freshmen Claire Luebke and Jayden Hinton performed in their college’s production of ‘Silent Sky,’ a play based on the life of astronomer Henrietta Leavitt. Luebke played Henrietta, and Hinton played Peter Shaw, a character who is Henrietta’s love interest. Both students graduated from Ripon High School, where they acted together in several productions, including ‘Into the Woods,’ ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ and ‘Little Women.’ They began acting with support from friends and family and continued to participate in theater through high school.
Luebke and Hinton have different approaches to acting. Hinton describes himself as a method actor who uses his own personality and humor in his roles, drawing on the Stanislavsky method. He often blends his own traits with those of the character. Luebke, on the other hand, focuses on understanding characters who are different from herself. She prepares by considering the character’s motivations and reactions and aims to respond authentically during each scene.
The move from high school to college theater brought changes for both students. The college production had a shorter rehearsal period than the two months they experienced in high school. The cast of ‘Silent Sky’ included only five members, compared to the larger groups they were used to…