FHS historical fiction production examines corporate greed

Flathead High School Theatre’s Acting 2 Class will present the compelling and heartwarming story, “Radium Girls,” on May 8 and 9 at 6:27 p.m. in the David M. Hashley Theatre at FHS.

Inspired by real events, “Radium Girls” follows the plight of a group of watch dial painters in 1920s New Jersey, whose repeated exposure to radium while painting these dials begins to take a serious toll on their health. Ordered to shape the brushes with their lips to keep a fine tip as they painted, these women repeatedly ingested small doses of radium every day.  While U.S. Radium Corporation's labor force were all but encouraged to ingest the dangerous mixture, management and research scientists who were aware of the danger carefully avoided any exposure themselves.

“We wanted to explore a more serious theme with our production, and ‘Radium Girls’ is a story that we felt was important to tell. It is a historical fiction play that leans toward the historical side. It is suitable for middle school students and above, especially for those who are interested in history and science,” said director and Acting 2 instructor, Luke Johnson. “It is fast-paced, with 20 scenes in 60 minutes. We have used blues music to build our themes so the transitions are a collection of blues songs with choreographed movements.”

Called a “powerful” and “engrossing” drama by critics, “Radium Girls” offers a scathing look at a variety of timeless issues including corporate greed and corruption and industrial safety standards, as well as the empowerment of employees in the workplace.

“The play highlights the struggles of these women as they fought against the radium corporation to bring justice to their cause,” said Johnson. “Our interpretation of this script focuses on themes of finding hope in difficult situations by creating a support system and using humor. The audience will also see the theme of making sacrifices to make the world a better place for others.”

This production of “Radium Girls” is presented by the Acting 2 IB Class at Flathead High School.  In Acting 2, students practice a variety of theater skills and study the relationship between the play’s themes and the actions of the characters within the play. Through a full-length production, the students explore the process of bringing a script to life.  

“The production process for this show has been a great experience. We worked on how to use space, body, and voice to make different types of moments matter in the show, such as moments of tension, atmosphere, emotion, and meaning. Our vision for this show was built around blues music, which we incorporated into the transitions. The cast of fifteen has worked hard in memorizing their lines, learning the choreographed music for the twenty transitions, and becoming more sophisticated actors,” said Johnson. “Despite the serious and depressing topic, the cast approached the work with an appropriate sense of humor, making the process a joy.”

The cast of “Radium Girls” includes Samara Hackley, Sophia Bennett, Adisen Haag, Ryan Kitzmiller, Sophie Hebert, Jax Stebbins-Han, Cole Knutson, Nalani Sullivan, Mason Strey, Sam Randall, Ben Moore, Meagan Lindsay, Iris Bruce, Gabriella Thomas and Colin Lincoln.

Behind the scenes, Simon Ort, Axel Jones, Ava Plum, Collin Olsen, Fallon Maas, Hadley Dennison, Lynne Beisel, Danica Luehr, Kennedy Dortch and Adalicia O’Brien make up the stage, lighting, and sound crews.

Advanced tickets for the show are available on GoFan, Flathead’s online ticketing service.  Ticket prices are $8 for adults and $6 for children, students and senior citizens. To access the ticketing service, go to gofan.co and search for Flathead High School. Each night of the production is listed for ticket purchase. Tickets are also available at the FHS Main Office, Photo Video Plus and at the door if still available.