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Radium Girls

Radium Girls

By D.W. Gregory.

Product Code: R72000

  • Full-length Play
  • Drama
  • Cast size: 4 to 5m., 5w., with doubling. May be expanded to 30 or more.

    Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available

Rights and availability
This title can be licensed and sold throughout the World.

* Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. The actual royalty rate will be determined upon completion of a royalty application.

$11.95 /script

Min. Royalty Rate: $110/perf

In stock

Synopsis

In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie an international celebrity, and luminous watches the latest rage—until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease. Inspired by a true story, Radium Girls traces the efforts of Grace Fryer, a dial painter, as she fights for her day in court. Her chief adversary is her former employer, Arthur Roeder, an idealistic man who cannot bring himself to believe that the same element that shrinks tumors could have anything to do with the terrifying rash of illnesses among his employees. As the case goes on, however, Grace finds herself battling not just with the U.S. Radium Corporation, but with her own family and friends, who fear that her campaign for justice will backfire. Written with warmth and humor, Radium Girls is a fast-moving, highly theatrical ensemble piece for 9 to 10 actors, who play more than 30 parts—friends, co-workers, lovers, relatives, attorneys, scientists, consumer advocates, and myriad interested bystanders. Called a "powerful" and "engrossing" drama by critics, Radium Girls offers a wry, unflinching look at the peculiarly American obsessions with health, wealth, and the commercialization of science.

Notes

Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available

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Details

  • Status

    In stock

  • Type of Show Full-length Play
  • Product Code R72000
  • Cast Size 9
  • Min. Royalty Rate $110/perf
  • Cost $11.95
  • Approx. Run Time 130 min

Categories

  • Target Audience High School | College and Adult
  • Performing Group High School | College Theatre | Community Theatre | Professional Theatre
  • Genre Drama
  • ISBN(13) 9781583421901
* Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. The actual royalty rate will be determined upon completion of a royalty application.

Customer Reviews

"This was a great experience! Cast, family, and community were blown away by the story and performance. A great play for social distancing in performance."
Review by Jeff Sams, Franklin High School, Franklin, Ohio
"I initially chose this show because I could have a large cast (important with high school performances). It ended up being the perfect show for us during this pandemic. We had a small cast which got even smaller due to quarantines. All the parts were able to be covered and performing with masks wasn't a hinderance."
Review by Sara Heacox, Coopersville High School, Coopersville, Mich.
"Because we were performing this during the pandemic, we had a small socially distanced audience and live-streamed it. The intimate nature of the performance really ended up being a plus for us. We focused more on the story and less on the set and such. I loved the simplicity. It was beautifully moving."
Review by Karen Dean, St. George's Independent School, Collierville, Tenn.
"The audience was really taken with the fluid transitions from scene to scene and they all learned a great deal about a very important story. The flexible casting makes this show ideal for high school since you can feature your strongest actors and give beginners a chance to get their feet wet in the smaller parts."
Review by Laura Whalen, Cary-Grove HS, Cary, Ill.
"Wonderful play with great challenges for the student performers and stage crew. The playwright was very helpful and open to answering all our questions."
Review by Paul Doniger, Pomperaug High School, Southbury, Conn.
"Radium Girls is a powerful production covering the women who used the radium pant on watch dials in the 20s. The struggle between money/image and doing what is right is forefront."
Review by Melissa Blankestyn, PORTA HS, Petersburg, Ill.
"This was a great script for a high school show. The audience was riveted by the story and wanted to learn more. It had some great dramatic scenes for kids to really show of their acting skills and provided a lot of roles of varying sizes, which made casting easy. "
Review by Amanda Brown, Intrinsic Schools, Chicago, Ill.
"Wonderful show! Clever writing. Tells the story of the Radium Girls from behind closed doors which allowed the actors to explore the characters' humanitarian side and the complex struggles that each character endured. Well balanced and tells a story that is important to American history. "
Review by Christina Chun, Consumnes Oaks High, Elk Grove, Calif.
"As a middle/high school drama teacher for the past 25 years, I just wanted to let you know that my drama class at Towle Institute, Wilmington DE. fell in love with "Radium Girls". My students made a connection with Grace the heroine of the story. All the character's were remarkable. The fact that the character's were real people that you could find on the internet astonished them. Knowing that the U.S. Radium Company was real and not far from Delaware in Orange NJ. They couldn't get over how a company could put so many young women in a situation where the only outcome was death, and live with themselves. We had an outstanding production and I would be proud to direct this show again in the future. The audience was moved to tears and applause. We did this production in 2015, but I am just now writing to let you know about it."
Review by Cheryl Shields, Towle Institute, Wilmington, Del.
"Radium Girls provides a compelling story and great opportunities for character study and research. The actors took their responsibility as storytellers quite seriously and the audience was moved and intrigued by this point in history. A great choice for our school audience and actors. "
Review by Emily Blackburn, The Overlake School, Redmond, Wash.
"Very well received by our audiences and a great acting challenge for my students. I must tell you of our success in presenting Radium Girls at a high school theatre awards event. We won Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Featured Performer; and I know a great deal of the success was due to the quality of the play itself!"
Review by Jacklyn Keagy, Dover Area High School, Dover, Pa.
"Though historical in nature, the play provokes an audience to consider the implications of American consumerism and the corporate "bottom line" mentality. Our production elicited laughter, tears and gasps of dismay, which speaks highly of the script's resonance with a contemporary audience. The play is a great vehicle for developing strong ensemble acting from a group of committed actors. We cast 20 actors to play the nearly 40 characters."
Review by Mike Solomonson, Northland Pioneer College, Holbrook, Ariz.
"Radium Girls was one of the best shows we could have chosen to train our actors in serious dramatic roles. We were able to convey an important social message to our audience without being heavy-handed because of the intricacies and detail of the script."
Review by Drama Director, James W. Robinson, Jr. Secondary, Fairfax, Va.
"Radium Girls is a beautifully constructed and moving play. This show is a wonderful vehicle for actors of all levels; the roles are challenging and performers must work to the best of their abilities to bring them to life. Audiences were moved and left speechless as the house lights came up. Parents commented that this is a great show for students as they must research and work with such mature material."
Review by Joey Chavez, Santa Fe High School, Santa Fe, N.M.
"An amazing show that blows the audience away. Although it is challenging to perform, the content and message are worth exploring."
Review by Lisa Bodden, St. Gregory School, Tucson, Ariz.
"Powerful drama with a wide range of roles and flexible casting options."
Review by Jarrod Townsend, Williams Field High School, Gilbert, Ariz.
"Incredible script and an important story to tell. Staging can be as easy or creative as you wish. Roles are all well characterized."
Review by Lori Zyla, Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg, W. Va.

Hints, Tips, and Tricks

"It took me forever to find this but if you want a substance that is clear in normal light and only fluoresces in black light search the following on Amazon: “ DirectGlow 1 Ounce Invisible Green UV Blacklight Bottled Ink for Hand Stamping Security Admissions Secret Messages Glow Party." "
Tip by Chase Coston, Union Pines HS, Carthage, N.C.
"Glow sticks, glow in the dark pigment powder and black lights made for an intense presentation that grabbed the audience right away."
Tip by Gregory Allen, Pinedale Middle School, Pinedale, Wyo.
"One thing we added were screens on the side of the stage to tell where the scene was taking place and what the time period was. We used a graphic of a clock and it worked so well. Many audience members mentioned how helpful that was to the story and helping them know where each scene was taking place."
Tip by Chris Murphy, Concordia Lutheran HS, Fort Wayne, Ind.
"Words to the wise: don't over design for this show. I added a platform and a few heavy set pieces that made it difficult to run the transitions as smoothly as I had hoped ... if I had to do it again, I'd eliminate the platform and simplify the set pieces in order to keep the cinematic flow of the show."
Tip by Kristina Cummins, Capital HS, Olympia, Wash.
"Casting is one of the most important keys to success."
Tip by Paul Doniger, Pomperaug High School, Southbury, Conn.
"It's all about time - sound effects, lighting, staging, should help enforce that time is ticking away."
Tip by Kit Degenhart, Crown Point High School, Crown Point, Ind.
"I found keeping sets and costumes as simple as possible helped greatly with the flow of the show."
Tip by Melissa Blankestyn, PORTA HS, Petersburg, Ill.
"We rented a UV light to achieve the glow in the dark effects with the makeup. Well worth the rental fee."
Tip by Marianne Phinney, Walpole Footlighters, Walpole, Mass.
"Make sure your scene changes are quick."
Tip by Susan Postma, Nooksack Valley High School, Everson, Wash.
"Although the script may read as written for a proscenium stage, it worked very well using a thrust stage which allowed for visual variety with numerous places to enter and exit. The play can be staged quite nicely with a minimal amount of furniture and a diverse lighting design."
Tip by Mike Solomonson, Northland Pioneer College, Holbrook, Ariz.
"Keeping it simple made it more effective. The story tells itself without extensive props and scenery. We used black background curtains only—very effective."
Tip by Leanne Wright, Heppner High School, Heppner, Ore.
"Look for the glow-in-the-dark face paint early and try it out. Good makeup makes for an awesome effect."
Tip by Lisa Bodden, St. Gregory School, Tucson, Ariz.

Media Reviews

"Radium Girls may speak to our collective capacity for denial. But it also celebrates our individual courage." -The Daily Record

"A compelling new drama...the playwright lays out the facts with historical accuracy, descriptive simplicity and graphic candor. " -Variety

"The best new play in New Jersey professional theatre." -The Star-Ledger

Production Map

Location City State Opens Closes
Lakeland Community Theatre Lakeland Florida 5/15/2024 5/16/2024
Kearney Community Theatre (KCT) Kearney Nebraska 5/2/2024 5/12/2024
Old Town Playhouse Traverse City Michigan 3/29/2024 4/7/2024
Atlanta International School Atlanta Georgia 4/11/2024 4/13/2024
Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre Toronto Ontario 3/16/2024 3/30/2024
The Little Colonel Players Pewee Valley Kentucky 7/26/2024 8/4/2024
Robert McQueen High School Reno Nevada 3/14/2024 3/22/2024
University Hall Theatre Boston Massachusetts 4/3/2024 4/12/2024
Elizabeth Seton Center Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 4/26/2024 5/5/2024
Showtimers of Roanoke Valley Inc Roanoke Virginia 5/9/2024 5/19/2024
Oakland Community College Bloomfield Hills Michigan 3/14/2024 3/22/2024
Wheeler High School Valparaiso Indiana 4/12/2024 4/14/2024
Lake Country Lutheran High School Hartland Wisconsin 5/3/2024 5/5/2024
Perry Meridian High School Indianapolis Indiana 4/26/2024 4/27/2024
Lane Technical High School Chicago Illinois 4/17/2024 4/20/2024
Robert F. Panara Theatre, Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester New York 4/26/2024 4/28/2024
Summit Christian Academy Yorktown Virginia 5/9/2024 5/11/2024
Riverdale Elementary School Port Byron Illinois 3/22/2024 3/24/2024
St. Joseph High School Nepean Ontario 4/18/2024 4/19/2024
BHS Performing Arts Center Berryville Arkansas 4/11/2024 4/15/2024
Blue Valley Southwest High School Overland Park Kansas 4/4/2024 4/6/2024
Cedarville University Cedarville Ohio 1/30/2025 2/9/2025
Lofte Community Theatre Manley Nebraska 5/3/2024 5/12/2024
Greater Lowell Technical High School Tyngsboro Massachusetts 4/11/2024 4/12/2024
Rada Performing Arts Center--Waverly-Shell Rock High School Waverly Iowa 4/25/2024 4/26/2024
The Acton Community Centre, Inc. d.b.a. Theatre III Acton Massachusetts 1/31/2025 2/9/2025
Green Bay East High Green Bay Wisconsin 4/25/2024 4/27/2024
Lyric Theatre, Belfast Belfast 5/21/2024 6/1/2024
Redmond High School Performing Arts Center Redmond Washington 3/29/2024 4/6/2024
Ferris State University Big Rapids Michigan 3/21/2024 3/24/2024
The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts Washington District of Columbia 6/6/2024 6/8/2024
Northwest Missouri State University Maryville Missouri 4/10/2024 4/14/2024
Holliston High Holliston Massachusetts 5/2/2024 5/4/2024
Fridley High School Fridley Minnesota 4/18/2024 4/20/2024
Elwood Opera Huse Elwood Indiana 4/25/2024 4/27/2024
Wilmington Friends School Wilmington Delaware 4/12/2024 4/14/2024
University City High San Diego California 4/24/2024 4/26/2024
Aldo Leopold Intermediate School Burlington Iowa 4/5/2024 4/6/2024
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign Illinois 4/5/2024 4/6/2024
Woodcreek High School Roseville California 4/17/2024 4/20/2024
AADA New york New York 4/14/2024 4/21/2024
West Salem High School Salem Oregon 5/23/2024 5/25/2024
Spearfish High School - 01 Spearfish South Dakota 4/18/2024 4/19/2024
Lauderdale Co High Sch Rogersville Alabama 4/16/2024 4/19/2024
Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy Kenner Louisiana 4/19/2024 4/21/2024
Essex Northshore Agricultural and Technical School Danvers Massachusetts 5/10/2024 5/11/2024
Hickory Grove Christian School Charlotte North Carolina 4/19/2024 4/20/2024
Lancaster Country Day School Lancaster Pennsylvania 11/15/2024 11/16/2024
Pullman High School Pullman Washington 5/24/2024 5/25/2024
DeForest Area High School De Forest Wisconsin 4/24/2024 4/27/2024
Clayton Valley Charter High Concord California 5/10/2024 5/12/2024
Notre Dame High School Lawrenceville New Jersey 5/2/2024 5/4/2024
Spencer High School Spencer Iowa 4/12/2024 4/14/2024
Bonneville High Ogden Utah 1/10/2025 1/21/2025
Roger T. Sermon Center Independence Missouri 3/28/2025 4/6/2025
Ferris High School Spokane Washington 5/16/2024 5/17/2024
The Pumphouse Players Cartersville Georgia 3/21/2025 3/30/2025
Gilbert Christian High School Gilbert Arizona 10/23/2024 10/25/2024
Red Wing High School Day Program Red Wing Minnesota 5/16/2024 5/18/2024
Grand Rapids Christian Schools Grand Rapids Michigan 2/6/2025 2/8/2025
Lincoln Senior High School Ypsilanti Michigan 5/9/2024 5/12/2024
College of Southern Idaho Twin Falls Idaho 5/9/2024 5/11/2024
Franklin Central High School Indianapolis Indiana 4/10/2025 4/12/2025

Downloads

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