When the student actors from Durango High School Troupe 1096 take the stage for their latest production, four seniors will be at the helm, directing the show under the guidance of Theater Director Ben Mattson and Jenny Fitts-Reynolds.
“Radium Girls” will be performed for two weekends beginning next week.
“This has been a show I’ve been excited to direct for some time,” Mattson said. “It’s an incredibly well-written and intriguing fictional drama of the very real events during 1918 to 1926 that took place at a dial painting factory in Orange, New Jersey, and the subsequent legal battles that ensued. The real Radium Girls helped pave the way for legislation for workers rights for everyone, even influencing the creation of OSHA.”
The show takes place when radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie was a celebrity and luminous watches were the latest rage – until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease. Inspired by a true story, “Radium Girls” traces the efforts of dial painter Grace Fryer as she fights for her day in court, Mattson said.
If you go
What: Durango High School troupe 1096 presents “Radium Girls,” by D.W. Gregory.
When: 7 p.m. Feb. 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26; and an understudy matinee at 2 p.m. Feb. 26.
Where: Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave.
Tickets: $15, available online at https://bit.ly/361XGEu.
More information: Visit troupe1096.weebly.com.
Note: Audiences are required to wear masks, and the ticketing system will automatically separate parties for socially distanced seating.
“I had many seniors that were interested in assistant directing for this production. Each of them are incredibly talented, creative and intelligent,” he said. “I decided to entrust the show primarily to them. They are hungry and ready to take on a production of this size.”
Under the guidance of Fitts-Reynolds and Mattson, the directors of this production are: Helene Brimhall, Lucas Spaeder, Julian Colby and Maya Mouret.
For Mouret, COVID-19 was an unwelcome cast member for the show.
“COVID is still a tough obstacle when it came to this production,” she said. “I actually got COVID the first two weeks of rehearsals and was not able to direct the scenes I had originally planned to do. This was a huge disappointment that COVID took this opportunity away from me, but the other student directors were very kind and allowed me to help out in different areas of the production. I believe the total student collaboration of this project really helped the show flourish.”
Along with personally affecting students, COVID-19 also made the cast stretch themselves in other ways, Colby said.
“The biggest challenge when putting on a drama during COVID, especially a non-musical, is the use of masks. As you can imagine, it’s very difficult for students to show complex emotions when the bottom half of their face is covered,” he said. “It required a lot of work on how to act using primarily eyes and physicality, instead of mouths.”
For Spaeder, the reason that these productions are most important is because of the hands-on experience students get.
“We spend late nights and long rehearsals facing challenges that a school day could never emulate. Because the program is student-led, these challenges are ours to overcome,” he said. “While we have guiding adults, it’s our job to merge the visions of all involved in each production. ... Through all the struggles and breakdowns, nothing is more fulfilling than standing on stage and realizing ‘We did this! All of it!’”
‘Radium Girls’ cast
Grace Fryer: Karissa Rocha
Grace Fryer Understudy: Jayla Cataldi
Arthur Roeder: Daniel Long
Kathryn Schaub: Sora Pearson
Tom Krieder: William Reynolds
C.B. “Charlie” Lee: Xavier Lopez
Miss Katherine Wiley: Olivia Reeve
Irene Rudolph/Lovesick Cowboy: Salem Rieke
Edward Markley: Noah Oury
Reporter (Jack Youngwood): Ava Allen
Sob Sister (Nancy Jane Harlan): Avery Edgar
Dr. Von Sochocky/Frederick Flinn: Dane Solecki
Mrs. Anna Fryer/Customer: Dakota Gervais
Mrs. Diane Roeder/Dr. Marie Curie: Ginger Ashurst
Shopgirl/Society Woman/Harriet Roeder: Jade Hutt
Board Member No. 2/Photographer/Mrs.Michaels/Store Owner: Evie Powell
Male Shopper/Raymond Berry/Dr. Joseph Knef: Sam Brocker
Dr. Cecil Drinker/Dr. Harrison Martland/Board Member No. 3: Trina Franken
Clerk/Elderly Widow/Board Member No. 1/William Bailey: Makena Piel
Mrs. Alma McNeil/Venecine Salesman/Court: Savannah Rickerman
And while working on the production provides experience, there are bigger lessons to be taken away, both as actors, crew and aucidence members, Brimhall said.
“It is important to remember that theater tells a story for a reason,” she said. “‘Radium Girls’ ... aims to tell a story about sacrifice and courage, and the steps taken to ensure that humanity lives in better working conditions. ... The underclassmen who proudly act on behalf of this inspiring story are excited to showcase their work and talent to the town next Friday!”
katie@durangoherald.com
