Radium Girls
at Bishop Ireton High School

Reviewed on November 10, 2018

Mary Kate Ganley
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Miracles are a rarity, but they do happen: with Penicillin, x-rays, and for a time it seemed, radium. The wonderful substance that shrank tumors, illuminated watches and poisoned the girls painting the dials. Bishop Ireton High School's performance of "Radium Girls" emphasized the idea that even if intentions are pure, consequences can last, or shorten, a lifetime.

Originally published in 2000 and written by D.W. Gregory, "Radium Girls" is set in the Roaring 20's, when Marie Curie's discovery of a Radium revolutionized industry around the world. Though the scientists in the labs were protected from Radium's harmful effects, the young women who worked factories to paint the small, glowing numbers on watches received little in the way of protection. They were even encouraged to shape the tips of their brushes with their lips. This true-to-life story follows three young workers, Irene Rudolph, Kathryn Shaub, and Grace Fryer. With radium poisoning plaguing their lives, Grace fights to sue against her employer before her time runs out. Her main fight is against Arthur Roeder, a man who climbed the company ranks and refuses to believe that the miracle drug could be the culprit behind these ladies' mystery illness. "Radium Girls" analyzes the trouble that comes with new technology, and the time it takes to fully comprehend how it affects the world around it.

Amongst a large cast of superb performers, Lyndsey Lawrence's performance as Grace Fryer created a level of intimacy in the cast and show. With a fluid transition from doormat to dynamo, Lawrence provided a look into the true pain caused by the irony of a "miraculous medicine" being the reason her life is destroyed. Juxtaposing Lawrence's transition was Andrew Holland, as Arthur Roeder. Holland's rough businessman exterior coupled with his fear for the unintended consequences of his actions as his idealistic dreams come crashing down around him added an element of understated passion to the performance.

Kip Sisel's role as loyal Tom Kreider provided a domestic look at the changes in Grace's life and her ability to love. Their relationship highlighted the new aspect of not only the losses faced by the women hurt but the effect it had on those closest to them. One such victim was Kathryn Shaub, played by Abigail Abraham, who descended into disease in front of Grace's eyes. Abraham's incredible range of talents was revealed not only through her change from bubbly to fearful as her slow progression into disease that had already claimed two lives close to her, but also through her ability to physicalize well.

Costume and makeup crews worked in tandem to create the pictures of the decay that the women truly faced. Each character affected by the radium seemed to age slowly, as if a clock was running too quickly on their lives, eyes seemed to get darker each scene, as cheekbones seemed to slowly be pushing against the actresses' skin as their health declined. The costume crew worked diligently to create the visual of light dimming in their outfits, and went so far as to create, alter and embellish 42 different costumes. Set crews worked quickly, making each scene flow in one continuous cycle.

Though miracles may not be common, with a stunning cast, stellar tech and an overall amazing production that ran like clockwork, Bishop Ireton High School's performance of "Radium Girls" may certainly be a miracle of theatre itself.

Donovan Fisher
Mount Vernon High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

Whether healthy or sick, poor or wealthy, everyone runs out of time eventually. Bishop Ireton High School's production of Radium Girls portrays this idea of time in mature and profound ways. Set primarily throughout the 1920s, Radium Girls focuses on factory dial painter Grace Fryer, as she wages a campaign for justice after she and her friends are found to have radiation poisoning from the radium in the paints at the U.S. Radium Corporation. This company will do everything in its power to stop this battle from hitting the courts, but Grace continues to strive with the turbulent force of this case, knowing that if she doesn't, these victims will never see justice.

Grace Fryer, played by Lyndsey Lawrence, is portrayed with a collected sense of dignity and self-worth, as well as clear intent and resolve. Lawrence displays the change from hesitant to motivated in her performance, screaming her loudest to the audience in her quietest moments, resisting against her fading life with powerful delivery of lines in her final scenes. Arthur Roeder, the CEO of the U.S. Radium Corporation, acts as a foil to Grace, but one that is just as important to the story. Arthur, played by Andrew Holland, carries himself onstage forcefully, displaying the character's drive for success and eventual downfall through tone in dialogue and body language. Holland does a fantastic job at making the character sympathetic and depicting him with humanity, emphasizing the moral grey areas to prevent the character from feeling like a stock antagonist. This is displayed most notably in a striking scene from Act 2, where he and his wife Diane (Olivia Hays) are discussing the fallout from the press's weight on the lawsuit being filed. The building tension and high emotions between Hays' shame and Holland's guilt give this scene weight, helping put the rest of the show into perspective.

Thoughtful considerations for the time and overall themes were evident the show's technical design. The Costume Team paid thorough attention to detail when designing the outfits for the show, using vintage dress patterns from the period when creating several the outfits used in the performance. They, along with the make-up team, helped visualize the continuing sickness of the girls as they used more muted and somber colors for characters as their health weakened. Minimalist lighting was chosen for a less theatrical and rawer stylization, becoming dimmer as the light of characters began to burn out. Set pieces would be moved across the stage as the previous scene would be wrapping up, allowing scene transitions to be notably quick to keep steady pacing.

Bishop Ireton High School's production of Radium Girls successfully depicts the burden that comes with time with sincerity and subtlety. Performances by the cast are grounded, depicting a real sense of struggle, guilt, and loss without ever being too over the top. The technical design envisions the deterioration that builds throughout the story, encapsulating the audience in despair as the inevitable occurs. Bishop Ireton's cast and crew use the story of Radium Girls not only as a look into the tragedy of the past, but as a way for viewers to reflect on their own lives and future, asking the audience to make the most of their own time before it's too late.

Keeley Bryant
Mount Vernon High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

Bishop Ireton's production of Radium Girls tells the story of a group of women and their bravery in a time where the world seemed to be working against them. This play relays the haunting tale of the women who were affected by radium poisoning caused by the paint they received to paint dial watches with. It exemplifies their bravery and their fight to receive some sort of compensation for what had been done to them.

The story follows Grace Fryer: a young woman working at the radium plant to help her family out. Slowly, her friends notice weird changes to their health, ultimately leading her to quit her job out of fear. Once she notices these changes within herself, she begins the fight for her day in court that will follow her for the rest of her life.

The situation the characters have been placed in throughout the show makes them deeply rooted in their emotions. This need for emotional value makes the job of the actors more difficult. Bishop Ireton's actors performed their job well, allowing the character's emotions to drive their actions. Lyndsey Lawrence, who played Grace Fryer, played her role with the confidence her character needed. She convinced the whole audience that she was going to get the compensation she so desperately needed. Lawrence's strong acting choices were also prominent. As her character's health deteriorated, her physicality went from that of a young woman full of life to someone who is clearly living out their last days. Even in scenes where she was sitting, there was a clear change in her posture. Another impressive actor was Andrew Holland who played Arthur Roeder. As the president of the company that caused Grace's disease, he was placed in a difficult position. The guilt and remorse he felt was clear in not only in the way the lines were delivered but also in the way he chose to move around the stage. He looked as though he had the world resting on his shoulders. Furthermore, Holland's choice to play the character not as a villain but as a human helped the audience feel empathy for the situation he had been placed in. The ensemble also showed their dedication to their characters. They always seemed to react in their own ways to what was going on, making the experience more lifelike.

The technical aspects in this show were also quite impressive. One of the most important parts of the show was the effects of the radium on the body. The makeup choices instilled the chilling feeling the audience was supposed to receive upon seeing these effects. The most impressive use of makeup was the necrosis given to Dr. Von Sochocky. It truly looked like he was afflicted by the horrible condition. Another impressive aspect of the show were the costumes, 19 of which were made completely from scratch. These costumes were beautiful and perfectly matched the period. The use of unflattering colors for each actor whose health was deteriorating was also a nice touch, as it helped to make them look sickly as the show went on.

Bishop Ireton's staging of Radium Girls was beautifully done. Both the acting and the technical aspects come together to tell this harrowing story. Overall, this production provides a reminder of the bravery of these women, and how one should never just sit back and take it.

Joshua Mutterperl
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to Alexandria Times

Amidst the flashy and dazzling nature of the booming 1920's, a dark tale of sickness and neglect unfolded before the American public. Bishop Ireton High School truthfully and powerfully tells the story of the women whose lives were forever changed through exposure to radioactivity in Radium Girls by D.W. Gregory.

The play, published in 2003, chronicles the story of Grace Fryer, who sued the US Radium Corporation after contracting a debilitating illness from working in one of its factories. The story follows Grace from her days working the factory in 1918 and being instructed to put the radium-covered brushes in her mouth to the later days of her life, where she struggled to succeed in suing the Radium Corporation despite her failing health. Concurrently, the story of Arthur Roeder, the president of the US Radium Corporation, is told, as he gradually began to accept the consequences of his neglectful actions.

Grace, played by Lyndsey Lawrence, did an excellent job of portraying the character's journey through her clear intentions and distinct relationships with each character. Lawrence exhibited a tasteful use of restraint while still driving home her powerful emotional arc. She also showed how her interactions with the people around her affected the story she was telling.

Those interactions were made even more impactful by the strength of the actors portraying them. Kathryn Shaub, played by Abigail Abraham, used her position as Grace's friend to have an important effect on Grace's anger towards the Radium Corporation. Abraham had an impressive acting range and vivacious stage presence, which made her illness (portrayed with excellent physicality) all the more devastating.

Arthur Roeder, played by Andrew Holland, was remarkable at gradually shifting his steadfast character's opinion. Smoothly transitioning from a stubborn and business-oriented company president to a guilt-ridden and reflective man, Holland was engaged and reactive throughout the entire piece, giving a particularly impressive monologue as he recounted an encounter with Grace in the final scene.

As with Grace, the interactions with the people around Arthur paved the path that his character would travel. Moments between Arthur and his wife, played by Olivia Hays, were especially memorable, as Hays and Holland worked well and naturally off of each other. Hays' strong characterization of this opinionated and moral character never failed to come through. Arthur's journey was heavily impacted by Dr. Von Sochocky, played by Matthew Monaghan, who changed from radium enthusiast to radiation-afflicted doubter with a consistently impressive accent and earnest presentation of character.

Sophie De Waal and Owen Peters as competing reporters were always hilarious and added much-needed levity to this sad story.

Several technical elements of the show helped to ground it in the time period and enhance the storytelling. Lighting, designed by Thomas Monaghan and Hailey Crow, was quick and kept the show moving, and the darker presentation of lighting colors in act 2 beautifully mirrored the worsening of Grace's health. Projections designed by Haley Otero helped to set the scene, both by giving the audience a reference image for the background and by projecting newspaper clippings or other images that enhanced the mood of a scene. Costuming was efficient and accurate to the time, and the clothes the characters wore always matched up with their mood. Hair and Makeup did an excellent job with this production on many fronts. Highlights include successful and realistic aging of characters and stellar makeup work showing the effects of radiation.

Through honest character presentation by the entire cast and several impressive technical elements, Bishop Ireton movingly tells the story of the Radium Girls.

Aidan Wilbur
Thomas S. Wootton High School
Submitted for publication to The Catholic Herald

The bittersweet story of a young woman's struggle to be heard filled the stage at Bishop Ireton High School's production of Radium Girls. The evolution of a captivating, touching, and eventually heart-wrenching story was performed beautifully, and created a compelling tale of passion, drive, and loss.

The play, written by D.W. Gregory, tells the story of the renowned Radium Girls, from which the show takes its name. It won nine awards, including Best New Play in New Jersey Theatre and a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts, and is one of the Top Ten Most Produced Plays in U.S. High Schools, according to the Dramatics magazine.

Set in New Jersey in the early 1920's, the play tells the story of Grace Fryer, a young woman who develops radiation poisoning after working in a plant where they licked radium-based paint to paint watch dials. As she watches her friends die one at a time, her attempts at bringing the company responsible to justice are met with extreme resistance by the president, Arthur Roeder. Realizing that she herself will die, Fryer decides to risk everything, including her family, future husband, and money, in order to save the lives of other girls.

Fryer (Lyndsey Lawrence) gave a superb performance, conveying the transition from a happy and carefree, if a bit uptight, young girl into a passionate woman with a fire within her and a hunger for justice. Even though the disease tears her apart, she becomes stronger as the show progresses, which Lawrence handled brilliantly. In parallel, Roeder (Andrew Holland) creates a powerful emotional deterioration; as he becomes laden with evidence against radium, public outrage, and guilt over what his company has done to the girls, he slowly shifts to their side. Both actors convey their change in emotions beautifully.

Several more outstanding performances came from Abigail Abraham, who played Kathryn Shaub, Sophie de Waal, who played the Sob Sister, and Olivia Hays, who played Mrs. Diane Roeder. Abraham displayed an incredible range in her acting prowess, going from happy and joking to manic and scared to accepting of her fate, all the while using compelling expressions and strong character choices. Hays, while in very little of the show, provided complex, emotional layers to the scenes she graced, and created a lifelike marriage with her husband. De Waal provides comic relief as an eccentric reporter, and is a hilarious addition to the interludes she appears in.

In addition to the wonderful acting performances, the crew does an outstanding job. The minimalist set adds to the moribund feel of much of the show, and a typical set is instead replaced with projections. These watercolor images, designed by Haley Otero, are beautifully done and grow dirtier and smudged as the play progresses, adding to the feel that the girls' time is running out. The makeup team also does an incredible job on the girls in Act Two, capturing how the sickness eats away at them gradually.

Bishop Ireton's Radium Girls is a harrowing play about the struggle and eventual success of the poor girls who gave their lives for a cause. It's heartrendingly beautiful narrative consists of strong characters, crew and choices, and is a memorable experience in every aspect.

Grace Hodges
Teen Theatre Company
Submitted for publication to Connection

"Lip, dip, and paint" away ladies! As the first World War raged across the Atlantic, luminous watches were all the rage back home. Assured that the luminous paint was harmless, the watch painting job seemed like a dream come true for these young ladies. Follow Bishop Ireton High School as they reenact the tragic true story of the Radium Girls. This chilling play recounts the story of young ladies that painted watch dials with luminous radium paint. Instructed to lick the brushes to achieve a fine point, the girls soon became ill with mysterious jaw ailments and back aches. The play was originally produced by Playwrights Theater of New Jersey, penned by D.W Gregory.

The story is told primarily through the eyes of young watch painter Grace Fryer (Lyndsey Lawrence). Her powerful performance transported the audience into a world of desperation and despair. Opposite of Grace was the conflicted company boss Arthur Roeder (Andrew Holland), who knew something was wrong, but was torn between his company's profits and the safety of his workers. His booming voice and looks of anguish made the audience ask, "what would I do in this situation?"

Doomed from the beginning, Irene Rudolph (Samantha Fisher) and Kathryn Shaub (Abigail Abraham) blissfully trusted the miracle paint. "Time is on your side!" they would say. As the audience watched in horror, the girls laughed as they painted each other's faces and teeth. Abraham impressively delivered every last bit of energy she had into her character with both looks of delight and horror. Irene's death was the first indication that something was terribly wrong with the paint.

Other notable performances included characters such as Mrs. Diane Roeder (Olivia Hays), Sob Sister (Sophie de Waal), and Tom Kreider (Kip Sisel). With her clicking heels and annoyed-wife facial expressions, Hays exposed a softer caring side of Arthur Roeder. Waal's performance as an energetic reporter was like that of a bumble bee, always buzzing around the characters, attempting to snatch up any valuable information for her newspaper. Her wide smile and energetic delivery dazzled the crowd with her every appearance. Sisel's depiction of Grace's distressed love grew more powerful as the story progressed, pulling on the heartstrings of the viewers as they watched him grow more and more hopeless.

The setting of Orange, New Jersey was brought to life with the effort and expertise of the talented production crew. Costume team leader (Celia Curry), and her sensational costume team accurately portrayed the 1920's, and did an outstanding job progressing the outfits as the characters aged during the story. Lighting was a key element due to the gloominess of the play, and the lighting crew (Thomas Monaghan and Hailey Crow) was up to the task. The lights slowly begin to dim near the end of Act 2, giving the sense that the characters were running out of time.

The Radium Girls' lives and deaths exposed the ghastly truth of the "miracle" radium paint. The performance of Bishop Ireton High School left the tragic memories of these young ladies glowing in the hearts of the audience, just as the radium left these poor ladies glowing in their graves for years to come.

Julia Tucker
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to B.I. Word

Tick, tock, tick, tock. The clocks painted by the hardworking factory women can tell time, but can they measure how many minutes the girls have left? Bishop Ireton's deeply moving production of Radium Girls explores the dangers of ignorance and the effects of the crushing weight of guilt.

Grace and her co-workers are tasked with painting watch dials with radium paint to make the watches readable in the dark. While the toxic properties of radium are well known today, that was not the case in the 1920's. Seen as a miracle cure, it is no wonder the girls do not fear the toxic substance and see no issue with putting it on their nails, skin, and teeth. Only when the girls experience rapidly failing health do they begin to question the paint and the people who exposed them to it. Written by D.W. Gregory, Radium Girls shares the true story of Grace Fryer and her friends on their pursuit of acknowledgment and justice.

Lyndsey Lawrence as Grace Fryer marvelously demonstrated Fryer's descent into sickness. As her illness progressed, she would modify her movements to be anguished and less fluid. Her demeanor noticeably shifted from the beginning to the end of the show, starting as a naïve young woman who is trusting of her employers to eventually openly and angerly fighting them. The antagonist, Arthur Roeder, was masterfully portrayed by Andrew Holland. It is difficult to play a normal villain but even harder to portray a villain who is, at the core, a flawed and ignorant person. Roeder received sympathy from the audience as he exhibited his inner conflict and guilt for unknowingly harming his workers.

Another victim of radiation poisoning, Kathryn Shaub, was fabulously portrayed by Abigail Abraham. Abraham used raw emotion to construct her character and make Shaub's actions and motives evident. From the beginning, Shaub was the martyr of the show, and Abraham made that clear as she tearfully demanded compensation for her and her friends. Mrs. Diane Roeder, played by Olivia Hays, was an excellent counter to Holland. When Roeder yelled at her and then reached for her, she pulled away and lowered her voice. Her character choices and magnificent acting made a character that might have otherwise been forgotten extremely memorable.

The set, constructed by the Bishop Ireton set designers, inventively featured three projections that changed to enhance the scene; some projections were real newspaper clippings, while some were backdrops designed by the crew. Thomas Monaghan and Hailey Crow thoughtfully designed the lighting to reflect the mood of the show. Reds and blues were incorporated with dim lighting to express the somber and serious aspects of the production. The costumes made by Celia Curry were all period and fit well on every person. The costume team cleverly put the actors in new costumes each act to accurately express the fashion trends of the changing time periods. Created and applied by Anna Connole, the makeup correctly depicted every character's age and state of health. As the play progressed and the girls affected by the radium gradually got sicker, their makeup would be less dewy and rosy and instead become dull and darkened by shadows.

Long after the girls' time expired, the radium watches are still ticking. While they may not have found a cure, the girls found a measure of justice. Bishop Ireton's moving production of Radium Girls reminded the audience of how ignorance as a result of apathy is the most dangerous killer.

Nessa Vandi
Thomas S. Wootton High School
Submitted for publication to B.I. Word

"Radium Girls" got positive reactions all night, and there's no wonder why.
The D.W. Gregory play tells the true story of the life of dial painters and takes the audience back to the 1920's when luminous watches were popular and the women making them were at risk of exposure to radiation. Gregory shows the parallel lives of Grace Fryer, a woman whose exposure to radioactive material has caused her to get ill, and Arthur Roeder, her employer who fights back Fryer's attempts to sue and bring awareness to the dangers of working with radium.

Lyndsey Lawrence's performance as the female heroine, Grace Fryer was both moving and captivating. Fryer's determination gripped the audience and dominated the stage. Her character development throughout the story truly showed her growth as a fighter despite her worsening health which she successfully showed with the hardening of her voice and the fire that came with her words as she delivered her lines so beautifully. Her rival Arthur Roeder, played by Andrew Holland delivered a marvelous performance as he grapples with the guilt of harming his employees, ruining his career and disappointing his wife. Holland effortlessly brought the 1920's climate to life with the incredible chemistry between him and his wife Diane (Olivia Hays). Especially during Scene 7 of Act 2, the tension in Arthur and Diane's house grew just as their voices were beginning to rise and arguments were born.

The ensemble gave an unforgettable performance as well. Providing a much needed comedic relief in such a serious play, the Sob Sister (Sophie de Waal) and the Reporter (Owen Peters) created a lighthearted aura surrounding the intense situation. Most notably among the actors was Abigail Abraham who played Kathryn Shaub who was the highlight act of the night. As Grace's friend and coworker she was a trailblazer and martyr. Starting off as a quirky supporting character, she soon developed into a strong-minded woman who goes out of her way to find out the truth of the effects of radium, and as her drive grew stronger, so did the power of her sickness and she dies a warrior who pushed people to find the reason for the death of her friend and so many other women.

Furthermore, the costumes were remarkable. The designers stayed true to the era and managed to make create a wardrobe that was convincing and beautiful to look at. Not only did the costume department outdo themselves but so did the makeup department. To show the transition of a healthy woman to a dying one is not an easy task, yet this production achieves that and so much more. Kathryn's make-up in the second act in particular truly showed the effects of her sickness.
Similar to Kathryn, during the final scene of the play, Grace's pale face and dark eyes expressed how tired she was from fighting the people who doubted her and the disease itself.

The special effects department did an astonishing job in their projections by displaying watercolor painting that reflect Grace's ambitions of being an artist, and showing how, as the play progresses, the paintings decay and grow murkier as to resemble Grace's body and the illness within it.

Bishop Ireton High School's production of "Radium Girls" featured a cast that was in their element and created a performance that brought into light the hardships women have gone through throughout history, all the while making it an enjoyable show for everyone in the theatre.