By Ashlei Havili Thomas
Brigham Young University’s production of Radium Girls paints the history of radioactivity in the early 1900s through the eyes of three female factory workers. As the science, effects, and horror of radiation unfolds through the course of the play, the audience is swept back in time and transposed into the lives of these young women. Entering the theater (BYU’s black box theater, the Margetts) is to walk through the looking glass; slow jazz hits playing on a Victrola over the wire, separated by 1920’ style advertisements for BYU’s other upcoming productions. With such an intimate space, a small cast is to be expected, but 38 characters by 9 actors is Herculean, and yet the cast of Radium Girls pulls it off with ease. This play tackles a large period of time with poise and dynamic emotion, leaving few dry eyes. In short, Radium Girls is an experience unlike any other, and no excuse should keep people from flocking to this show.
The play starts during the height of the Great War in Orange, New Jersey. The United States Radium Corporation employs dozens of girls to paint luminescent watch faces for soldiers using radium paint. The girls are encouraged to point their brushes with their lips to avoid wasting expensive paint on rags. Grace Fryer, one of the workers, notices as her friends start becoming sick, even dying. As she herself begins to fall ill, the horrible truth emerges: radium is the cause. The play follows the girls as they fight for compensation in a time where labor rights were almost nonexistent, battling their former employers and the more pressing enemy of time.
The cast is easily one of the most cohesive I have seen, working together with flawless precision. Mikah Vaclaw as Grace Fryer and Dylan Wright as her boss Arthur Roeder are the only members of the cast not to play multiple roles. Vaclaw’s character arc is impressive, becoming bolder and more courageous as her body apparently deteriorates. Her vehement sincerity and push for resolution and peace are the driving force in this piece. D. Wright’s Roeder is equally as compelling. If someone in the play has to be labeled the antagonist, Roeder would be it, but both the play and D. Wright’s characterization keep Roeder from being so cut and dry. Of all the characters and actors, I found him most engaging. His struggle with what is right and his role in the tragedies are compelling and very human.
The remaining members of the cast all play multiple roles, and–as I stated before—did so remarkably. Many costume and character changes happen almost instantaneously, walking between lights, with the removal of a jacket and a flip of the hat. In one instance, Andrew Groome walks off as one character only to run on from a different entrance in a new costume as a completely unrelated man. Each character is distinct from the next; impressive when you’re juggling four to seven of them. Notable performances include Meg Flinders as Kathryn, the coworker and friend of Grace; Jeanelle Long as Miss Wiley, head of the New Jersey Consumer’s League; and Ben Raymant as Tom, Grace’s fiancé. While Grace may be the protagonist, Kathryn is the catalyst, and Flinders does a wonderful job as the spirited, loyal friend. Her assurance at the beginning that something to do with radium is the cause of their ills, and macabre, dry humor at the end are a great contrast to Grace, which spur her onward when Kathryn falls gravely ill. Long’s portrayal of Miss Wiley is measured and driven, the mark of a woman who loves to stir up trouble. She is the general of the battle against the US Radium Corporation, and is tactical, if not a tad manipulative. Raymant allows Tom to be easy going and supportive without making him a pushover. Though his care for Grace is evident, his inability to come to terms with the morbidity of their situation drives him further and further from her. Watching the unease and tension grow between Raymant and Vaclaw until it finally pulls them apart is fascinating and heartbreaking. There is no other way to say it: this cast is a well-oiled machine that creates an atmosphere completely beyond this world and time.
It wouldn’t be complete to address the magnificence of this piece without the designs. The understated scenic design as created by James Haycock is both elegant and antique, with a wood floor pattern, varied levels, and a magnified newspaper print imposed over various corners of the floor. The most interesting thing to watch before the play starts is the ceiling. Lights hang at various heights with circular metal shades, enclosed by two concentric metal circles like a giant watch face. When paired with the lighting design by Matt Taylor, the stage transforms into a slew of places with ease. The makeup and hair design by Madison Colborn is also impeccable. Most recognizable are the transitions from hale to sickly by the Radium Girls. Pollyanna Eyler is the play’s dramaturg, providing great reading material for the audience to acquaint them with the play, historic significance, and time period through the program. Lastly, both the direction and dialects are the work of Stephanie Breinholt. The dialects of the cast are crisp and distinct throughout the play, and the direction is nothing less. This play keeps you on the edge of your seat and doesn’t let you go until final curtain.
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While this play is suitable for all audiences, some may struggle with the subject matter as it hits close to home for many. I do think it is thought-provoking, and I heard many jokes as I left about drinking less soda and eating less junk food. Though I doubt many of these impromptu pledges will be kept with the holidays around the corner, the conversation started by this play is one worth having, and this introduction couldn’t be more succinct. Though its location may be slightly eerie on the deepest level of the BYU arts building, don’t let that keep you from enjoying brave, empowering Radium Girls.
Brigham Young University presents Radium Girls by D.W. Gregory
Margetts Theater, Harris Fine Arts Center, 800 E Campus Dr, Provo, UT 84602
Nov. 16-17, 28-30, Dec. 1, 4-8, 2018 7:30 PM. Nov. 17, Dec. 1, 2:00 PM
Tickets: $12-16
BYU Arts Facebook Page
Radium Girls Facebook Event
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