Please join us for two livestreamed performances of “Radium Girls,” a one-act play featuring two casts of Academy students and produced by a large student crew. The live performances will be shown online at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5 and Saturday, Nov. 6.
Presented by the Punahou Theatre Department, “Radium Girls” will be performed on the Dillingham Hall stage, with more than 75 students taking part.
Tickets can be purchased at https://www.showtix4u.com/events/19005 and the performances can be viewed on a smart TV, computer or mobile device. There are two separate casts called “BUFF” and “BLUE.” When purchasing tickets, you can view the cast list for each performance. You will be asked for the name of a cast member during the ticketing process. You can type in the name of a student or just enter “Melinda Moore” or “none.”
Synopsis
“Radium Girls,” written by D.W. Gregory, is based on the true story of female laborers who were poisoned and killed by their factory’s radium-based paint from 1918 to the 1940s.
The play features Grace, Irene and Kathryn, who paint dials in the U.S. Radium Plant and are instructed to finely point their brushes by molding the bristles with their mouths while painting. The factory’s new owner, Arthur Roeder, is excited by radium’s promising future and believes in the company’s potential for growth. Soon, many of the girls experience disturbing health issues, and one of their co-workers dies. But her death is brushed aside. The plant tries to keep the girls who are getting sicker from talking to the press, push back their court dates and deflect any negativity toward the company. Some of the surviving girls finally get settlements and medical coverage for the rest of their shortened lives.
“Radium Girls” fiercely examines the commercialization of science, the pursuit of both health and wealth, the power of the underdog, and the deep injustice laborers in America have faced, and may even continue to face today.
The play will be most enjoyed by those ages 10 and up and has a “PG” rating. Run time is approximately 70 minutes with no intermission.