Wilder In Space

On February 26, Our Town made its interstellar debut on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Episode 8 “The Life of the Stars.”

Mary Wiseman as Lt Tilly

Photo by Brooke Palmer

Mary Wiseman as Sabina

Photo by Henry Grossman

The casts of Our Town Broadway and Starfleet Academy backstage at the Barrymore Theater 2025

In this episode, the Academy cadets are dealing with the aftermath of recent tragic events. Chancellor Ake (Holly Hunter) decides to enlist Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) to help them. Tilly uses Our Town, “a play from ancient earth,” to bring them to terms with their loss and teach them about the healing power of theater. The play and its themes spill out of the classroom and are interwoven throughout.

A pair of fun facts:

• Mary Wiseman, who is featured as Lt. Sylvia Tilly, also played a memorable Sabina in the 2017 production of The Skin of Our Teeth at Theatre for a New Audience, directed by Arin Arbus.

• The Starfleet Academy cast took a field trip to a performance of Our Town Broadway in 2025 in preparation for this episode.

You can catch this episode, written by Gaia Violo and Jane Maggs, along with the full first season on Paramount +.