Radium Girls by D.W. Gregory

The Department of Dance, Music, and Theatre at Cal Poly Humboldt and the Associated Students presents Radium Girls written by D.W.Gregory and directed by James Peck. Opening night is March 24th at 7:30 p.m. at the John Van Duzer Theatre. Tickets are $10 General, $8 Senior/Child/Non-Cal Poly Students, and FREE for Cal Poly Humboldt students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at centerarts.humboldt.edu. From the "All Events" drop down menu select "Department of Dance, Music, and Theatre" and select your event. At press time, the wearing of facemasks is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged.

In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie an international celebrity, and luminous watches the latest rage—until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease. Inspired by a true story, Radium Girls traces the efforts of Grace Fryer, a dial painter, as she fights for her day in court.

“It's a tough story about the power workers feel when they unite together to fight for their rights.” Says assistant director Isa Glover “Most people might know vaguely what the general premise [of Radium Girls] is about but learning some of the true facts might surprise them.” One of these true facts is, in that time, some found it hard to believe the same element that shrinks tumors could have anything to do with the terrifying rash of illnesses among these young women working in the dial painting factories. “The thing that surprised me most about this production was the reality behind it. I had some knowledge of the Radium Girls case beforehand, but when I read the script and then looked into the facts behind it, I was genuinely shocked,” adds Sophia Escudero, who plays Grace in the play. “So many details had initially struck me as added or embellished for dramatic effect, but many of the most horrifying parts of the show were lifted directly from history.”

Grace’s chief adversary is her former employer, Arthur Roeder, one who is in the camp of disbelief and unaccountability. As the case goes on, however, Grace finds herself battling not just with the U.S. Radium Corporation, but with her own family and friends, who fear that her campaign for justice will backfire. “It’s an astonishing tale of willful ignorance blinded by self-interest, and the havoc it renders,” says director James Peck. “About the hubris of uncovered technology…a story of the clash of expediency and desire with the needs and welfare of a community and workers. This is the beginning of true workers comp.”

While the story is often sad and tackles heavy societal issues, the staging, acting, and production of the play is a theatrical, kinetic event. In the words of Izzy Waring, who plays multiple characters in the play, “I think audiences will be surprised by the sheer level of energy this show contains and how engaging the narrative is. Despite Radium Girls being a period piece, I think audiences will really connect with its messages about greed, exploitation, corruption, and grief that still ring true with many people to this day. If Radium Girls was done straight forward without the immense attention to detail and bizarre, surreal aesthetics, and without this massively talented and passionate ensemble and production team, it wouldn't be nearly as engaging…” The production is literally aglow, as many special effects evoke the radioactivity that is invisible but omnipresent in the play, an unseen character, with no intention of its own, nevertheless altering every character’s arc. Isa Glover is more succinct, the audience will be delighted, “Anytime [they] see the glow of the radium.”

Grace Fryer may be a tragic hero, but her story is one worth telling. “I immediately connected with Grace's story. She was an incredible, intelligent young woman who dedicated what time she had left to making sure what happened to her wouldn't happen to anyone else, and she deserves to be remembered,” says Sophia Escudero. Director James Peck agrees, “The play is important for so many reasons, but I think fundamentally, it portrays information as a character that brings about freedom. Knowledge that liberates us from toxic or unhealthy practices is the most important path to a wholesome community. This is a great example as to how the voice of one woman [Grace] can lead to such change.”

DATES/TIMES

WHERE

• Van Duzer Theater

PRICE

• $10 / Free Cal Poly Students with ID / $8 Seniors/Students/Children