Cheryl Shields

The Everett

In the 1920s, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie was an international celebrity, and luminous watches were the latest rage, until the girls painting the faces of the watches started to become ill with a mysterious disease. Inspired by a true story, Radium Girls traces the efforts of Grace Fryer, a dial painter, as she fights for her day in court. Her chief adversary is her former employer Mr. Arthur Roeder, who can’t believe that the same element that shrinks tumors could have anything to do with the terrifying rash of illnesses among his employees. 

Written with warmth and humor, Radium Girls is a fast-moving, powerful and engrossing drama. The play is a work of historical fiction, although it is based on events that occurred in Orange New Jersey between 1918-1926.