(Image taken from theater.skidmore.edu)
Written by D.W. Gregory, Radium Girls follows one woman as she sues her former employer for the detrimental working conditions that led to her and her fellow coworkers’ illnesses and eventual deaths. It is based on the true story of women in factories in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Illinois. And this Friday, the Skidmore College Theater Department will kick off their Spring 2020 season with their production of the play.
The piece is historical — set in a watch factory in 1926. The women who worked there were tasked with painting the watch faces with what was then known as the miraculous radium paint. Only later was it discovered that consuming the substance could be toxic, but it was too late for those who had consumed deadly amounts.
The show not only centers around the experience in the factory but the legal battle that ensued decades after. As stated in the description of the show on the Dramatic Publishing website, the protagonist “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.”
Director Rebecca Marzalek-Kelly answered a few questions about the process, inspiration and significance of Radium Girls.
Meg Gray: Why did you choose to direct "Radium Girls" for Skidmore's spring main stage?
Rebecca Marzalek-Kelly: Skidmore originally brought the play Radium Girls to my attention thinking it would be of interest to me and of course, it was. I’m inspired by stories of women standing up for their rights particularly at times when they didn’t have much agency to do so. I’m also inspired by change-makers and people who stand up for one another. Theatrically, I was struck by the fact that radium glows, the glamour of the 1920s, and the vast amounts of light shining in from the factory windows as described by the dial painters [the women who worked in the watch factory].
MG: How has this directing experience differed from previous ones?
RMK: Directing at Skidmore is a unique experience because we get to call on experts to help us grapple with the themes of the play. Throughout the process for Radium Girls we’ve had the pleasure to speak with Steven Frey from the Chemistry department, Jennifer Delton from the History department, Beck Krefting from American Studies and Kate Leavitt from the Art Department. They’ve shared their expertise on radium, the 1920’s, women in the workforce, the narrative of newspaper headlines/articles, and how to make cyanotype prints.
MG: I've heard from those involved in the production that you have incorporated lots of movement into it. Why was this something you wanted to put into the show?
RMK: The script notes “The style is meant to be cinematic, briskly paced. Furnishings must be simple: eight wooden chairs and two or three narrow tables, which remain at all times.” In order to achieve this, we opted to put everything on wheels, which quite literally helps drive the play and has led to an abundance of table and chair choreography. Some of the movement is also inspired by the women wanting to wear their best clothes to the factory so they glowed at parties.
MG: What makes "Radium Girls" an important story to tell now?
RMK: “Radium Girls” is a piece of history that is usually left untold, but as of late, there’s been a lot of buzz around the topic. The book The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kare Moore became a New York Times bestseller. The upcoming film Radioactive is based on the graphic novel: Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss. The popular podcast series My Favorite Murder did an episode on the dial painters called Lick the Clock. It’s wonderful to be working on the play with so many resources at hand. I think the story remains relevant today.
The show will be performed in the Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Main Stage Theater and will run from February 28 until March 5. Tickets can be purchased at the Theater’s box office or online at theater.skidmore.edu.