Dover-Sherborn High School Drama Presents ‘Radium Girls’ THIS Week

Every summer, Carmel Bergeron, Director of Drama for Dover-Sherborn, is faced with the annual task of choosing the play for high school students to perform in the fall. This can be challenging when the number of students who are planning to join the cast is not known in advance. The script not only has to have flexibility with the number of roles, but it also must be a play that will be of interest to the drama students and the audience members alike. This year, Bergeron selected ‘Radium Girls’ by D.W. Gregory, one of the top ten most-produced plays in U.S. high schools this past school year according to The Educational Theatre Association. Bergeron says, “I originally chose ‘Radium Girls’ for its flexible casting and set. But after much research I was fascinated by the story and eager to share this piece of history with our community.”

Set in Orange, New Jersey, ‘Radium Girls’ was inspired by the true and tragic story that defined American labor history in the 1920’s. As the United States entered the first World War, hundreds of working-class women eager to help the war effort headed to the local factory of United States Radium Corporation to work as dial painters. Their job was to paint glow-in-the-dark numbers on watch faces and military dials using paint that contained the newly discovered element radium. The intricate and exacting work called for the dial painters to use a special technique of putting the tips of the paintbrushes between their lips. This made a very fine point to paint the tiny digits more easily on the watch faces. The company assured the women that radium had no negative side effects. At the time, many even believed that radium was a miracle substance that would improve health - until the girls who painted the luminous watches began to fall ill with mysterious ailments that led to many deaths.

The play follows the efforts of dial painter Grace Fryer as she leads the fight for the radium girls against the injustice and for their rights to compensation. Fryer finds herself clashing with the U.S. Radium Corporation, her family, and her friends – who are concerned with the consequences of her campaign for justice. Portraying Fryer in the Dover-Sherborn production is sophomore Miranda Savla who says that she has never played such an important and complicated character. “Grace is faced with so many complicated decisions which have been both fun and challenging to play out. One of my favorite things about the show is its historic significance; the Radium Girls were so important to history and workers’ rights. I hope the audience enjoys learning their story.”

Through the courage and tenacity of the radium girls, the case against the U.S. Radium Corporation over the harmful use of radium in their factories led to groundbreaking medical research, current workplace safety regulations and updated laws in the United States. It is a fascinating story that you won't want to miss! Performances will be in Mudge Auditorium on Thursday November 3 at 6:30pm, Friday, November 4 at 7:00pm and Saturday, November 5 at 7:00pm. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased with cash at the door or online at www.ticketstage.com.