CVHS To Present "Radium Girls"

Vincent Whitman, director of Conestoga Valley High School's (CVHS) fall production "Radium Girls," knew things were falling into place for the show when he walked into the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and found hundreds of cans of fluorescent paint for sale. "Radium Girls" focuses on young women who are working as painters of luminous watch dials, so the fluorescent paint would be especially useful in staging the show.

"Radium Girls," written by D.W. Gregory and based on a lawsuit that changed employment history, will be presented at the school, 2110 Horseshoe Road, Lancaster, on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 19 and 20, at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m.

Set in 1926, when radium, which had been discovered by Madame Curie, was being used in a variety of ways, the play tells the stories of the painters who are encouraged to tip their painting brushes with their lips. When the women begin to display symptoms of a mysterious disease, the workers are pitted against the owners and administrators of U.S. Radium Corporation. The play pays homage to the efforts of Grace Fryer, a dial painter played by Sierra Land, who worked to bring the company to justice. Grace's chief adversary is Arthur Roeder, played by Mason Hutchinson. Roeder, president of U.S. Radium, finds it hard to believe that Curie's miraculous discovery could cause the illnesses affecting his employees. Other cast members include Jenna Rychner as Irene Rudolph and Katerina Lingo as Kathryn Shaub.

"It's such a passionate show. There's so much involved, and it's just a good story," said Whitman, who added that tasteful enhancements will bring a new perspective to the historical drama to keep the presentation lively. "We are adding a little music to the scenes where the reporters narrate what's happening," he said. "That adds a whole new dimension to the show."

Another touch will be adding a group of girls who will sit to the back of the stage throughout the entire show, where they will be seen in silhouette. "They are the girls working (in the factory)," explained Whitman, who noted the girls will use their phones to light up the area with a greenish hue. "It will look like they're painting with fluorescent paint," said Whitman.

Along with the fun, rehearsals have also provided some serious teaching moments. "Students are embracing the impact of what (this lawsuit) did," explained Whitman. "As soon as they started getting into the script, they realized how the company wanted to hide everything (it had done wrong)." Whitman recalled that one of the students pointed out that even when people know something is not right, they may be tempted to take the easy way out. "Grace could have quickly resolved and settled, but she decided to push more. She didn't settle for the easiest thing," said Whitman. "(Grace) fought it out, which was the right thing to do."

Tickets for all performances are available at http://www.showtix4u.com by searching for "Conestoga Valley High School." Tickets will be discounted for students.