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.”