Orlando, FL – Valencia College Theater will present “Radium Girls,” a gripping, historical drama based on the true story of female workers who were poisoned and killed by their factory’s radium-based paint – while making glow-in-the-dark watches that were wildly popular in the 1920s.
The play opens on Feb. 13 and will run for seven performances in Valencia College’s Black Box Theater.
“Radium Girls” is D.W. Gregory’s moving drama based on the true story of female factory workers who were poisoned and killed by their factory’s radium-based paint. Though “Radium Girls” is set in a period from 1918 through the 1940s, the bulk of the narrative is centered on events in New Jersey in the mid-1920s.
In the 1920s, radium was hailed as a miracle cure, scientist Marie Curie was an international icon, and luminous watches were all the rage—until the young women who painted them began to fall mysteriously ill.
Inspired by true events, “Radium Girls” follows dial painter Grace Fryer as she bravely takes on the U.S. Radium Corporation in a battle for justice. Her opponent: Arthur Roeder, her former employer—an idealist struggling to reconcile the promise of science with the devastating human cost. As Grace’s fight gains momentum, she finds herself at odds not only with the company but also with her family and friends, who fear the consequences of her pursuit.
Written with both warmth and biting humor, “Radium Girls” is a fast-paced, highly theatrical ensemble piece. Hailed by critics as “powerful” and “engrossing,” the play offers a sharp, unflinching look at America’s obsessions with health, wealth and the commercialization of science.
Produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Ill. Originally produced by Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey and developed with a commissioning grant from the Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science and Technology Project.
** Recommended for ages 13 and up. “Radium Girls” contains mature themes, including illness, death, and corporate negligence, but is appropriate for teen and adult audiences.
Valencia’s Black Box Theater is located in Building 3 on Valencia’s East Campus, 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando. Tickets are $10 for Valencia students, staff, military and senior citizens and $15 for the public. A $2 ticket fee applies to all tickets. Tickets may be purchased online at https://ticketpeak.co/valenciacollege/events or by calling the box office at 407-582-2900.
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What: “Radium Girls”
Who: Valencia College Black Box Theater
When: Feb. 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Matinee on Feb. 15 at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $15 for the general public; $10 for Valencia students, staff and senior citizens