As a music major, I have endured months of my peers excitedly buzzing about their work on an unfamiliar opera called “Computing Venus.” So, when I finally found my seat in the maze-like Martel Theater last Thursday, Jan. 22, I was expecting quite a show. As the LED stars illuminated above an old-fashioned telescope, a distant, more frilly version of Vassar unfolded before my eyes, and by the end of the show, I completely understood my peers’ infatuation with the piece. It was truly remarkable to see such a carefully crafted work written about a piece of history that once unfolded at this very school.
“Computing Venus” tells the story of famed Vassar astronomy professor Maria Mitchell. In 1847, fueled by her passionate love for the vast night sky, Mitchell finds a new comet whose discovery skyrockets her to scientific fame. Years later, thanks to her astronomical notoriety, she is invited to teach at Vassar as one of the college’s first professors and as the nation’s first professional female astronomer. Her presence at the school encouraged students to reimagine the roles women could play in science, but her work does not exist without opposition.
The main conflict of the opera centers on the consequences of Edward Clarke’s novel “Sex and Education: or, A Fair Chance for the Girls,” which claims that the pursuit of higher education is a threat to the health of women, targeting Mitchell’s livelihood as well as her students’ intellectual pursuits. Though his fearmongering successfully encourages many parents to remove their daughters from Mitchell’s class, the opera eventually ends on a note of hope, as Mitchell and her remaining students decide that they must continue their work despite the setbacks they have faced, for the love of astronomy and for women’s futures in the field.
The opera was first staged in 2024 as a collaboration between librettist Caitlin Vincent and composer Timothy Takach, who were commissioned to write the piece after their submission won the Domenic J. Pellicciotti Opera Composition Prize. Modern opera can often feel unapproachable to the average viewer, with its flowery language and experimental musical vocabulary. However, I found that Vincent’s style of writing combats this masterfully, striking a wonderful balance between vernacular and poetic language. Meanwhile, Takach’s background as a choral composer shines through in the show’s stunning harmonies and lyrical instrumental lines.
The production’s scale was unlike anything I had seen before at Vassar, combining the best talents of the Drama Department and the Music Department. The two departments were brought together seamlessly by co-directors Drew Minter and Christopher Grabowski. The Martel Theater was a stunning venue for the story, providing plenty of space for sets and elaborate costumes, which animated the setting so magically. Each scene was a beautiful tableau of life at a time in Vassar College’s history that feels so far away nowadays. Meanwhile, the emotional elements of the story were elevated through the work of the Music Department. The score was played by an 11-piece pit of current and former Music Department faculty, conducted by Christine Howlett, while the chorus was filled with some of the finest singers I know. Additionally, two principal roles were sung by Grace Finke ’27 [Disclaimer: Finke is the Arts Editor for The Miscellany News] and Sarah Dworman ’27.
While the show involved many of Vassar’s current professors, performers and crew members, the production team also invited some talented alumni back to the stage to tell Mitchell’s story. John Raymond was played by Michael Hoffman ’13, star student Mary was played by Beatrix Postley ’24 and the role of Miss Mitchell herself was sung by Eden Bartholomew ’23.
The presentation marks the opening of “MODfest 2026: Sounding the Visionary,” an event which seeks to emphasize the power of creative vision to impact culture and incite productive change. Maria Mitchell’s story is surely a testament to the power of vision. As a viewer from the modern day, it was sometimes laughable to watch the show’s villain decry the presence of women in higher education in the name of women’s health. Today, we know that his claims were totally unfounded and therefore seem trivial at a school like Vassar. Not long ago, however, his words had very real effects on collegiate women, and it is only thanks to the visions of people like Mitchell that we feel so secure in our equal right to an education.
Additionally, though, I think there is another vision to be seen here: that of the countless storytellers—directors, writers, designers, cast, crew and more—who gave their time and effort to this production. Their hard work brought Mitchell’s struggle to life in a way that enabled viewers to contextualize her plight in this day and age. Thanks to them, “Computing Venus” is a reminder that in times where peoples’ rights are actively being taken away, uniting around a common vision is not as futile as it may feel—some days, it is all we can do.