Radium Girls Brings Drama, History and Heart to River Hill High School Stage
By Abigale Paterniti
With blood capsules, glow-in-the-dark paint and a gripping story, Radium Girls—River Hill’s fall play—will light up the stage Nov. 6–9. Based on the true story of teenage factory workers in the 1920s, the show traces their transformation from meek and mild to determined and outspoken as it builds into a powerful fight for women’s and workers’ rights.
“The RHHS community can definitely expect drama and suspense, and a strong cast of characters. Without spoiling too much, you can expect to see SFX makeup, interesting lighting and really impressive, convincing acting,” said senior Elise Marcus, who plays the lead role of Grace Fryer.
With nearly twice as many roles as cast members, many performers take on multiple characters.
“We always talk about how theater is not a competition for parts, but more like a puzzle—trying to fit where the strengths are for the actors as well as the performance as a whole,” said River Hill theater director Meghan Meyer.
Auditions began on Labor Day, and since then cast members have been busy practicing lines in and outside the classroom.
“As tech week approaches, I’m definitely feeling the stress, especially since I’ve had to memorize probably three times as many lines as I have for any other show,” Marcus said.
Like last year’s fall play, Trap, Radium Girls follows a documentary-style format. However, while Trap blended fiction and suspense, Radium Girls presents a fully nonfiction story with a more dramatic tone.
“Everyone seems really excited to bring the fight of these girls to life on stage. And really, that’s kind of the point of doing this—to tell stories that don’t get heard otherwise,” Meyer said.
The River Hill community can look forward to seeing students in a new light. As they navigate tech week and memorize lines, cast and crew members build strong connections and refine their performance skills to bring the story of these young women to life with dramatic impact. Along the way, standout moments emerge—both onstage and behind the scenes—that highlight the dedication and talent of everyone involved.
“When you’re learning a piece of the dance and you’re like, wait, this is really clicking for me, or you’re seeing somebody else do their lines and you’re like, wow, they’re just perfect for this role,” said senior Leyly Rezaei, who plays Irene Rudolph and Catherine Wylie.
Radium Girls, a woman-centric story with a female lead, sends a strong message.
“I think it’s really important still today that we’re fighting for workers’ rights and empowering women,” Meyer said. “These topics are coming back around to be more important these days than they were even a few years ago.”
Performances will take place at River Hill High School from Nov. 6 to 9, with evening shows Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and a matinee on Sunday at 2 p.m. General admission: $10; Senior citizen tickets: $5. Tickets may be purchased in advance at hcpss.booktix.com.
About the author
Abigale Paterniti is a senior at River Hill High School and co-editor-in-chief of the River Hill Current. Follow the student newspaper on Instagram: @rhhs.journalism.
