On October 25 and 26, Concord Academy hosted productions of this year’s fall mainstage: Radium Girls. This hour-long play retells the true story of a group of women employed for the U.S. Radium Corporation in Orange, New Jersey who created luminous watches using radium-based paint. The Corporation did not warn them of the dangers of radium, which resulted in severe health issues and even death for many of these women. CA’s adaptation of Radium Girls focuses on the women’s consistent advocacy to hold the United States Radium Corporation accountable. Offering up many points of view, the production delves into the stories of both Grace Fryer (Lira Schwab ’26), one of the Radium Girls, and Arthur Roeder (William Jiang-Fogel ’27), the president of the Radium Corporation.
One of many outstanding elements of this play was the set design. Featuring two big clocks—one on the wall behind the actors and one on the floor beneath their feet—the stage highlighted the production’s central theme of time. At the beginning of the play, the Radium Girls were seen making watches. By the end of the play, though no longer making physical watches, it was clear they were running out of time. The glowing clock in the back of the theater served as a constant reminder of how little time the Girls had left as they struggled to stay alive long enough to win their case against the Radium Corporation.
Additionally, the clocks served as a reminder of the continued significance of the Radium Girls’ story in today’s society. As one of the first lawsuits against an employer for health related concerns, the women’s legal action contributed to many reforms regarding employee health and safety in the modern workplace. Therefore, these clocks were both a reminder of how these women were running out of time as well as the lasting impact of their story.
Through the thoughtful lighting, sound effects, and emotions brought to life on stage, Radium Girls implores its audience to think about what they can learn from watching this story unfold. How do we spend our time now? What might we do if we were put in a situation like that of the Radium Girls? What themes from this production carry on into the present day? Overall, CA’s production of Radium Girls serves as a reminder of how the Radium Girls and their advocacy helped change the course of history. This story teaches us all about the importance of time and how we spend it, demonstrating that positive change can still be made even when we feel it is too late.