Radium Girls: a play in two acts, Written by D. W Gregory and published in the year 2000, premiered at Abington High School this week. Radium Girls follows a group of young women who work in a radium plant who paint watches during the war. But the paint makes the girls sick, and the company isn’t doing anything about it. The show follows the girls in their journey of sickness and their court battle as they overcome the corrupt company and their disease.
Ms. Presley Mahanna Joins our theater group as the director of this play. She cast the show and did auditions, chose the movements of where actors stand how they would move set pieces, all the choice of how the play looks and comes to life was her decision. She was also the costume designer for the show.
Ms. Megan Tomlin is the drama program advisor, who picks the productions and plays, hires the staff, directors’ painters etc., trains students on using theater equipment. She also makes the play bills and chooses the cast.
Ensemble cast and crew members, Jack Regan, Maeve Coe, and Zachary Westhaver sat down with me, to discuss their roles and how they affect the production of Radium Girls. As well as the esteemed producer and director of the play Megan Tomlin and Presley Mahanna.
Ormond: What role did you play and what does that entail?
Regan: I am the Stage Manager along with Molly Joyce, we deal with things behind stage and on stage. Our job is to make sure the actors don’t have to worry about chairs or curtains etc., the behind-the-scenes work!
Coe: I am a Costuming assistant, I assisted with picking out costumes and cleaning them Aswell, I help the actors with quick change scenarios, so they don’t have to worry about time as much and assisted with the hair and make-up.
Westhaver: I play the role of Dr Frederick Flinn, PhD, as long as a few others. My character works for the company to tell the girls that they are ok when they aren’t. This character also plays a major factor in the story as they inspire the main character Grace to pursue justice for herself and the girls affected by Radium.
Tomlin: I am the producer of the play and the advisor or the drama department, I not only picked the play but also handle all the hiring needed such as the director and painters etc. I trained the students on how to handle the stage equipment and played a part in choosing our cast.
Mahanna: I directed the play, so I helped choose where the actors would be and what they would do, as well as being the costume designer I helped make the actors look like they belong in the set time! Dealing with the different time periods really affected how I look at the costumes as well as how the girl’s health is changed so the makeup department had to make them look sicker to show their decline in health
Ormond: How would you describe the play? And why should people see it?
Regan: The play shows a unique part of history we may not always see, it deals with social inequities and one’s own mortality and the way that morality affects the characters. I believe people should see it to witness a small story that had a huge impact.
Coe: This is a very enlightening story. It’s very heartwarming, and it’s something you won’t learn about in the classroom, this is such an important piece of history that had such an effect on people that almost nobody knows about. Also, it shows how these big companies may not care about an individual worker.
Westhaver: It is definitely a very good written play, and it’s an emotional rollercoaster for anyone. It shows a human story in a not so humane company.
Tomlin: At its core it’s a courtroom drama. As much as it’s about the girls it’s about corporate America and how people make those decisions, doing what’s right. People should see it because it’s been such a feminist year between Barbie and Taylor Swift, taking the theme of female empowerment and putting it in a school play is so powerful.
Mahanna: This was a true story about the girls who worked in the factories in the 1920’s, not a happy story but an important story, a piece of history that doesn’t get taught in school. These girls were real people and their work helped create OSHA who helps keep our work environments safe.
Ormond: Why did you decide to join the play?
Regan: I used to be an actor in previous school productions, but wanted to work behind stage as it better suited my talents. I joined this play specifically to help an important story be told.
Coe: I participated in previous musical productions here, but I’ve never done a play before, so I thought I would join this one, as a singer in the musicals I wanted to try something more behind the scenes.
Westhaver: I’ve acted in previous plays and just wanted to continue featuring in them. Acting in plays is just a different experience!
Tomlin: I started doing theater in Abington in 2004 when I was in high school here. When I came back to teach here, I wanted to help kids have similar joyful experiences that had. I helped Mr. Shannon who worked on previous projects, so I felt ready to work on them myself. Theatre gave so much to me as I kid and I just wanted to give it back, it’s a part of who I am I don’t think I’d be me without it.
Mahanna: I did the costumes last year for the play and the musical, but with the new direction the program is taking under Megan Tomlin I wanted to take on a bigger role as director.
Radium Girls: A play in two acts has one more performance tonight, 11/17 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are being sold for $5 to students and seniors and $8 for any adult. Tickets are sold at the door exclusively and all seats are General admission.
Abington High’s next production will be the classical story of Beauty and the Beast, but as a Musical. The audition dates are set for December 4th and 5th at 6 Pm for any students thinking of joining, and call backs are on the 6th if you make the cut! The projected show dates are for March 14th and 15th at 7 Pm so mark your calendars, as well as a show on the 16th of march at 2:30 Pm!