Many of us have heard about the radium girls, but few of us have seen a piece of media about the radium girls like These Shining Lives. As Juli Bacon says in her opening message on Sunday afternoon, These Shining Lives is about the sacrifices workers make and the rights they fight for. These Shining Lights is about 4 coworkers, Catherine Donohue (played by Freda Jorgensen), Frances O’Connell (played by Christina Williams), Charlotte Purcell (played by Rebecca Gelzer), and Pearl Payne (played by Leah Carrell). They all paint luminescent clock faces using radium powder for Radium Dial Co. After 7 years as friends working at Radium Dial, their bodies start to disintegrate. Catherine decides to sue the company.
In many ways, These Shining Lives critiques capitalism. As Tom (played by Farid Abuid), Catherine’s husband, says, “work can cost you something.” There are a few poignant group monologues where the four women talk about time. About how they thought they had so much time, and how time was stolen from them. The most cutting line is when Catherine narrates how the “doctor took care of the company,” meaning that the doctor cared about the company’s profits, not the workers in the company. An important part of These Shining Lives is the years that were taken from these women due to profits being more important than humans to their bosses.
A big part of what made These Shining Lives feel like it took place during the 1930s is the costume design, hair, and makeup (Chris Curino and Priscilla Fontanez as Costumers). The silhouettes of the dresses are modest, and the hair and makeup is very old Hollywood elegant. Another part that set the time period are the “ads” about radium and Radium Dial Co. For instance, when Catherine first starts her job at Radium Dial Co. She asks if it’s safe to put the brush in her mouth to set the radium powder. Then a radio announcer (played by Scott Dittman) pipes in to talk about the health benefits of radium. This was humorous and also placed the play historically. Before the FDA was instituted, all types of snake oil was being sold.
Something that also made These Shining Lives feel like it was set in the 1930s is Rebecca Gelzer’s role as Charlotte Purcell, who takes after the attitude of flappers and is a modern woman who smokes cigarettes and drinks. However, all four women have their own personality that shines specifically in scenes, like the lake scene. The four women go to the lake on their day off and reflect on the shiny things they can buy now that they’re working women. They all laugh and drink, even Frances (played by Christina Williams) who doesn’t usually drink and has a funny reaction at her first sip. This scene stands out as the happiest time the four friends share before they start feeling the effects of the radium.
Another time the four actresses work well together in their depiction of the four friends is when Catherine finally tells them that her leg has been hurting. The four of them are in the workroom and initially, Catherine is being ignored. Pearl is telling jokes, Frances is gossiping, and Charlotte is humming. Catherine finally snaps and tells them that her condition is serious, but no one seems to take her seriously. The other three reluctantly share their ailments and start being more honest with each other. Meanwhile, Radium Dial Co. is creating a competitive workplace under the guise that they are laying off workers due to their non-work-related health concerns.
An important message in These Shining Lives is the beauty of friendship. In many workplaces, coworkers are just coworkers, but because the four women in These Shining Lives were friends and care about one another, they were able to be there for each other as they find out about their condition and cope with it.
These Shining Lives is an emotional look into the lives of the Radium girls as they rise beyond their corporate bosses for justice and a sense of vindication. There are moments where you celebrate with these four Radium girls and cry with them.
These Shining Lives Woodinville Repertory Theatre, Sammamish Valley Grange 14654 148th Ave NE, Woodinville, WA, 98072. Oct 27-29. Nov 3-5. 10-12. 17-19. Fri/Sat at 7:30 PM. Sun at 2:00 PM
Tickets: Woodinvillerep.org