World War I brought about unprecedented opportunity for women to enter the work force. It wasn’t always a good thing, though; D. W. Gregory’s play Radium Girls, now at Longstreet Theatre under the auspices of Theatre USC, offers a case in point.
 

Radium Girls tells the true story of factory workers poisoned by the radioactive element.

In Radium Girls, the recently discovered glowing element has been harnessed for the war effort, with radium-based paint being applied to watches to make them visible in the dark (and in the trenches). The radium is put on by hand, often with a brush that is first moistened by mouth. Many of the girls working in the plant are poisoned through this process.

Following the war’s end, the U. S. Radium Corporation in Orange, N.J., carries on in a civilian capacity, with radium now being an essential ingredient in the patent medicines of the day. It soon becomes apparent that many of the girls are getting very sick. One such victim is the play’s central character, Grace, well played by Katie Krueger. Her best friends are Irene (LaToya Codner) and Kathryn (Lin Ying), who also fall ill. Irene dies, but the company under the leadership of Mr. Roeder (Daniel Hill) refuses to acknowledge what is going on. Eventually, the consumer league of New Jersey becomes involved, the story becomes a press sensation (shades here of another ‘20s story, Chicago), and it all ends in court.

Gregory tells his tale — a true one — in an intriguingly impressionistic fashion, directed in an appropriately fluid style by Shanga Parker. The cast, many of whom play multiple parts, is a solid one. In addition to the earlier named players, there is fine work from Adrienne Lee, Lauren Koch, Brian Clowdus, Lee Gottschalk, Ryan Krause and Jeffrey Earl. Franklin Haley’s scenic design makes good use of Longstreet’s circular space. The lighting under the direction of Zach Kennedy and Jim Hunter is effective, as are the period costumes by April Brown.

The theme of corporate neglect, malfeasance and the outright malign treatment of workers is one of sadly eternal validity, from the muckraking days of Upton Sinclair through Silkwood to today’s workplace. Radium Girls invests its characters with humanity and refuses to take the cartoon approach of virtuous workers versus evil bosses as even Roeder struggles mightily with his own conscience. It’s a thoughtful, intelligent and interesting play, and Theatre SC has staged and performed it with strength and conviction. 

Performances are Nov. 18-20 (8 p.m.), Nov. 21 (7 p.m.) and Nov. 22 (3 p.m.). Tickets are $16 for the general public; $14 for USC faculty/staff, military and seniors; and $10 for students. Call 777-2551 to order.