'Another Sky' Shoots for the Stars

“If you liked ‘Interstellar’ or ‘The Martian,’ but you thought, ‘This isn’t dumb enough […] and I wish this was on a much smaller scale in Adams Pool Theater,’ you should come see ‘Another Sky,’” says Mike A. Skerrett ’18, writer and assistant director of the show. Adventures and misadventures in space have indeed figured prominently in the cinematic world of late. “Another Sky,” which runs Oct. 23-25, hopes to add a hilarious stage production to the entertainment exploration of that final frontier.

In the play, two scientists searching for extraterrestrial life (Elana P. Simon ’18 and active Crimson editor Ben G. Cort ’18) must share a small spacecraft with the cast and producer of a reality TV show (Hannah L. Needle ’19, Adam S. Wong ’17, and Dan E. Hughes ’18). Conflict, comedy, and existential crises ensue. “I think it’s a grounding play,” says Wong, who also directs. “It makes you realize, ‘Oh, things are chill, because nothing matters.’”

Although it is set against the backdrop of the void, the primary aim of “Another Sky” is laughter, says Hughes, who plays reality show producer Bryan Seacrest—“kind of a cross between Patrick Bateman from ‘American Psycho’ and Billy Mays.” Above all, he says, “We hope the jokes come across, and people have to be carted away in ambulances from laughing so hard.”

Skerrett and Wong, who perform together in the improv group Instant Gratification Players, agree that their prior experience together has helped in bringing the script’s humor to life. “I know how [Skerrett’s] joke process works,” explains Wong, “so I’m able to deliver that to the actors better than if I didn’t know what that joke process was like.”

Despite its focus on laughs, “Another Sky” also looks to explore some weighty themes, which the cast hopes will resonate with Harvard students. “It’s got a lot of good, deep underlying messages about not being alone and teamwork and family,” says Needle, who plays Scarlett, a “dumb reality TV star [who] corrects people’s grammar all the time.” “I think that’s important on a college campus, where your friends are your family.”

Cort, who plays one of the scientists, finds another meaning: “It teaches you to go after what you love. As a sophomore who’s struggling to pick a concentration right now, I think that’s really good advice for Harvard students—it’s about passionate people doing passionate things because they’re passionate about them.”

With opening night just a few days away, the cast and staff are palpably excited to bring “Another Sky” to life on Earth. Needle concludes, “It’s out of this world!”