These Shining Lives

BY MELANIE MARNICH

These Shining Lives

by Melanie Marnich

Directed by Torie Wiggins Scene Design

Lauren Lewis+ Advised by Gion DeFrancesco

Costume Design

Lisa Martin-Stuart Assisted by Nina Haurani

Lighting Design

Jenna Wrona Advised by Marly Wooster

Sound Design

Ian Montville

Production Dramaturg

Emily Stowers+ Advised by Ann Elizabeth Armstrong

Maggie Ballard, Stage Manager

Assisted by Minh Nguyen+ and Jillian Northern

+ indicates member of Alpha Psi Omega, National Theatre Honor Society

THESE SHINING LIVES is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)

THESE SHINING LIVES received its World Premiere at Baltimore Center Stage in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 30, 2008, Irene Lewis, Artistic Director; Michael Ross, Managing Director. It was developed at Baltimore Center Stage in Baltimore, Maryland, as part of their First Look Festival; The History Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota, as part of their Raw Stages Festival; Northlight Theatre in Skokie, Illinois; Primary Stages as part of their Primetime Reading Series; and TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, California, as part of their New Works Festival.

It was commissioned by Northlight Theatre in Skokie, Illinois.

Facts from the book Deadly Glow by Ross Mullner were used with permission of the author.

Catherine Donohue

Tammy Sanow+ Frances, Reporter Madeline Collins+ Charlotte, Reporter

Sokol Pearl, Daughter, Judge Becca Borton

Tom Donohue, Dr. Rowntree, Dr. Dalitsch

Tod Fish

Drew Grant Mr. Reed, Radio Announcer, Company Doctor, Son, Leonard Grossman

TIME & PLACE

Chicago and Ottawa, Illinois, The 1920s and 1930s.

These Shining Lives runs approximately 100 minutes, with no intermission

Running Crew

Light Board Operator Michael Liss Sound Board Operator

Johnston+ Deck/Fly Crew Nicholas Miller

Property Run Crew

Baxter Whitehead+ Wardrobe Run Crew Olivia Aloisi, Aisling Morse

Production Staff

Technical Director and Lead Electrician

Curtis Mortimore Scene Shop Supervisor Tom Featherstone Scene Shop Staff

Bethany Brown, Evan Cole, Jared Perkins, Megan Tracy Scenery Construction Crew Vivian Dao, Natalie Mitchell, Lily Steward Electrics Staff

El Eavenson, Trish Grogan+, Jenna Wrona Electrics Crew Andrew Dellafave, Noah Hieber

Property Director and Scenic Charge

Gion DeFrancesco

Ash Padilla Scene Painting Crew

Property Construction Crew

Emerson Adams+ Costume Shop Supervisor

Meggan Peters Costume Shop Staff

Olivia Aloisi, Evelyn Engle, Mack Ito, Erica Kerman, Maura Kesterson+, Laura Schonken, Joseph Sheridan+, Leah Vanasdale, Lorna Wodzak

Costume Construction Crew

Cody Luketic+

Director’s Notes

by Torie Wiggins

What does it mean to shine? To shine means to be bright by reflection of light. To me, that means that something can really shine when they are reflected by another source of light. The women we meet in this story shine on their own, but their story is further radiated by what they mean to each other, through the good times and the bad. In the journey they take together over the course of ten years, they emit the light of their spirits on to one another, and we see the heart of this story in their relationships instead of their circumstances. It is because of this, we remember their shining lives instead of their deaths. Although this significant moment in American history forces us to remember that all that glitters does not glow, this story has taught me to appreciate all things that shine. More importantly, it has taught me to always strive to be the light who’s reflection allows others to shine bright.

Torie Wiggins has been performing professionally for over 15 years. She has co-adapted and performed a one woman show, Your Negro Tour Guide, at various venues across the country. Her film work includes A Christmas Melody, starring and directed by Mariah Carey; The Old Man and the Gun with Robert Redford and Danny Glover and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile starring Zac Efron. Cincinnati credits include Collapse, Afghan Women Writer’s Project, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Pluto, Harry and the Thief (Know Theatre of Cincinnati); The Mountaintop, Cinderella, Violet and His Eye is on The Sparrow (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati); Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 by Anna Deveare Smith (Diogenes Theatre Co); Mame, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and Crowns (Human Race Theatre Co.) and Oliver Twist, A Raisin in the Sun and Fences (Cincinnati Shakespeare Co.) She appeared in To Kill a Mockingbird with both Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Her directing credits include We Are Proud to Present…and Good Kids with Miami University Theatre, Dreamgirls and Proof at The Carnegie Theater, I Shall Not Be Moved at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, and Blues for an Alabama Sky at Falcon Theatre.

Note from the Dramaturg

by Emily Stowers

The headline for the Chicago Herald Examiner on February 27, 1938 read, “Ghost Women Await Court’s Decision on Radium Poisoning.” A picture of Catherine Donahue in bed accompanied the article, and the press surrounding her story inspired the eventual court ruling on the “radium girls.”

Ten years prior, women working at another watch factory in Orange, New Jersey went public with symptoms of radiation sickness, but their image was not enough to dissuade Illinois women from applying for the cushy job painting numbers for the Radium Dial Company. Thriving with financial

independence in the era of the Chicago “flapper,” Catherine and others gained control over their free time and community with other women.

After prolonged exposure to the cancer-causing radium, the women began to experience radiation sickness without clues to its causes. Through the individual courage of women like Catherine Donahue, armed with graphic symptoms ready for press, public awareness encouraged legal change.

It may be easy to look at the disguised sickness of these women as a tragedy, but their sacrifices led to innovation in worker safety. Even those unfamiliar with their story still benefit from evolving state and national legislation. Catherine’s strength and personal approach to exposing the industry made her impossible to ignore. And now, women fight for their own autonomy and change, and it is crucial to recognize the impact one woman can have, even if those in power try to silence her.

Emily Stowers is a senior studying theatre and political science, is delighted to dramaturg another show for MUT. Dramaturgy credits include Twelfth Night and In Time. Acting credits include Philoclea in Head Over Heels, the tour guide in Light in the Piazza (MU Opera Theatre), Fabry in RUR, Lois in Baby Camp, Wilheminia in Blood Sisters, for which she received a nomination for the KCACTF Irene Ryan award, and Sarah in The Actor’s Nightmare (Miami IAS). You can also see Emily on campus as a stage manager, choreographer, the assistant director for Miami Moves this fall, and the business manager for Alpha Psi Omega.

About the Scene Design

by Lauren Lewis

Two summers ago, I came across an interesting history book at a thrift store called The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. I was shocked I had never heard of these heroic women before and was instantly captivated by their spirits as they fought for justice and truth in the workplace. Last fall, I was then introduced to this wonderfully crafted play about the same “radium girls” in scenic design class.

This design has experienced several iterations and tweaks since last fall, but the giant structures reminiscent of boxes of watch faces were a concept that I kept coming back to. This was because the script uniquely indicated time by the number of dials painted. Over time, your feelings towards this large representation of Radium Dial’s products will change. One moment it is exciting to see this monument of the women’s progress at work; the other moment it is haunting to see how many products with radium were produced and you too feel like the women who want to do something about it. Melanie Marnich herself also envisioned the scenery of the play as a “state of mind and imagination”. Through conversations with our director, Torie, and lighting designer, Jenna, we were able to collaborate and bring this atmosphere to life. The minimalist style allows these

characters to freely move through time as inspired by the graceful forward flow of the script. I also was inspired by the actual factory (specifically the windows), ads for radium products, and popular art from the 1920s and 1930s.

As I alluded to, time is precious because it is always moving forward. Over time we change, thoughts change, the world changes, we create change, but… there are always places where time mysteriously seems to stop, like the shore of Lake Michigan.

Lauren Lewis (she/her) is a junior theatre and arts management double major from Jonesboro, Arkansas. Last semester, she was the associate scene designer for The Thanksgiving Play and an assistant stage manager for Head Over Heels. Outside of theatre, she is a proud member of EcoReps and enjoys working as a campus tour guide. Lauren would like to extend a special thanks to advisor Gion DeFrancesco. She would also like to thank the rest of the incredible production team, cast, and crew for making this a valuable and fun learning experience.

About the Costume Design

by Lisa Martin-Stuart

The challenge for the costume design for These Shining Lives was threefold: First, to give the audience a sense of the time periods the play covers in Catherine’s life (1922- 1936). Second, to illustrate the differences in each character, while creating a sense of the environment of the women’s home and work lives. Third and, most importantly, to have the character’s clothing suggest a sense of the emotional journey that takes place in their lives over the 14-year time span of the play’s story.

Catherine’s story unfolds in a series of memory moments. In the play Catherine sets the tone of the 20th Century as a young woman who delights in the opportunities of the “new modern era”. The early scenes depict Catherine’s discovery of her new place in the workforce, discovering her passion

in her work, and her joy in the camaraderie of the co-workers. In subsequent scenes we also see the passion in Catherine’s marriage, Tom’s pride and encouragement of Catherine, and Catherine’s deep love of her family and children. The playwright paints a portrait of a young working-class family in the early 20th Century learning to balance home and work life and the struggles they face. Finally, as the play moves into the decade of the 1930’s the harsh reality Catherine and her co-workers face as they learn of the slow poisoning of their bodies, we get a sense of the parallel events as the struggles and sacrifices that workers and families across the country face in the deepening economic depression of the decade.

In working out the details of the costume design, I divided the looks of Catherine, Charlotte, Frances, and Pearl into three categories. In the first look, I wanted to depict the young female workers who were living in the optimistic and exciting times of the American “roaring 20’s.” I used the simple straight-line silhouette of the 1920’s, light-weight floral prints, and soft lace trims to create a youthful look to the design. The second look takes place at the height of the young women’s happiness in their lives during a lakeside picnic. The dresses now have more movement and details of the mid-twenties fashions, made in fabrics that reflect their “shining” happiness. Using the delicate sheer fabrics, I wanted to depict the fragile nature of their lives that are about to crash apart. The third look takes us into the more mature silhouette of the 1930’s. The dresses are more closed, use heavier fabric

textures and colors. In the darker tones of the third look I wanted to capture the darkening events of the trial and inevitable death of so many of the young women who worked at the Radium Dial Company. With Catherine’s dress I used a rich, dark color in combination with a delicate floral print. My idea was to depict Catherine’s strength in the face of her trials. I hope the costume design for the play conveys my feelings as Charlotte’s line in the play does: “Catherine Donohue, you are my hero.”

Lisa Martin-Stuart holds an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin, a BFA from the University of Florida. Her training is in costume design, historical dress research, and sewing technology. At Miami, she teaches design and technology courses for the Theatre Department and Fashion Program in the College of Creative Arts. Recent MUT costume designs include Head Over Heels, Blood Sisters and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Lisa recently completed costume designs for the film Rachel Hendrix, her fourth collaboration with noted film director Victor Nunez. Other film credits include: Ruby in Paradise; winner of the 1993 Sundance Film Festival starring Ashley Judd, Ulee’s Gold (1997) starring Peter Fonda; winner of the Best Actor Golden Globe Award, and Coastlines (2002) starring Josh Brolin and Timothy Olyphant. Lisa has also designed costumes for Off-Broadway theatres in NYC and several regional theatres including American Folklore Theatre, Asolo State Theatre, Aquila Theatre Company of London, Charlotte Repertory Theatre, and Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville, FL – her hometown.

About the Lighting Design by Jenna Wrona

These Shining Lives shows a story of the determination and strength of female factory workers within the 1920s and 1930s. These women were put into a workplace where they were exposed to radium poisoning and had management that didn’t seem to care. This story is important of females who did heroic efforts that have created working conditions safer today. With the lighting, I wanted to create a visual representation of the time and place to help show the audience the struggles that these women went through. Starting off with light oranges and yellows, we see how the women are satisfied with their work and their excitement to be working for such a big company like Radium Dial. Then, with a mixture of classic factory lighting and various shades of green and blue, to express discomfort within the women, it helps lead us to see how little remorse these women receive. With it all blending together in the end, it allows us to see the courageousness of the four women and how big their story made an impact.

Jenna Wrona (she/her) is a senior/graduate student accountancy major with a minor in theatre arts. She currently is a part of the electrics crew within the theatre department and has been since last year. In the past, she was a lighting designer/sound designer for the Independent Artist Series, light board operator for The Thanksgiving Play, lighting designer for Mother Earth’s Gallery of Broken Things, and has helped with other performances in the department via the electrics crew. Outside of theatre, she is currently working towards graduating with her Masters of Accountancy and undergraduate degrees in the spring so she can begin her work experience at Deloitte starting in the summer. She would like to thank her mentor Marly Wooster for being so supportive and believing in her throughout this performance and also to the production team, cast, and crew for being there for her throughout this experience.

Company Bios

Ann Elizabeth Armstrong (Dramaturgy Advisor) has been an Associate Professor of Theatre at Miami University since 2001. She holds an MFA in directing, as well as a PhD in theatre from the University of Hawai’i. Her specializations are community-based theatre, applied theatre, theatre for social change, and feminist theatre. She is an affiliate in Women Gender Sexuality Studies, American Studies, the English Department and the Western Program.

Maggie Ballard (she/her, Stage Manager) is a junior theatre major with a co-major in arts management. Previously at Miami, she was the stage manager for The Butterflies’ Promise in the 2021 Fringe Festival, Women in STEM for the 2020 Fringe Festival, and The Thanksgiving Play. She was also an assistant stage manager for Mother Earth’s Gallery of Broken Things. Maggie would like to thank the cast and crew for bringing this empowering show to life!

Becca Borton (Pearl) Becca is a sophomore at Miami University and thrilled to perform for the first time with MU Theatre! Becca is a political science and integrated social studies education double major with minors in Spanish and music theatre. She is the secretary of Stage Left theatre troupe where she has performed as Meg (Little Women) and Jenny (Theory of Relativity). She would love to thank her family and her dog for always showing up to help her shine!

Madeline Collins (Frances) is a senior theatre and marketing double major from Naperville, Illinois. At Miami Theatre, she has been seen in The Wolves (#14), RUR (Lydia/Computer), Why the Native Child Cries (Ancestor), and assistant producer of the 2020 Fringe Festival. On campus, Madeline is the current president of Alpha Psi Omega and Director of Advertisement and Promotion for Pi Sigma Epsilon. She would like to thank her parents, Patrick and Elizabeth, for supporting her to follow the things that shine.

Gion DeFrancesco (Production Manager, Props Director) joined the faculty of Miami University in the fall of 2001 and teaches courses in scene design, design communication skills, scene painting and American musical theatre. He also designs scenery and serves as scenic charge artist for MU Theatre productions. Favorite designs at Miami include Pentecost, In Quest of Love, Stupid F**cking Bird, The Wild Party, and Angels in America. Regionally he has designed and painted at a number of theatres including Big River at the Gallery Players of Brooklyn, I Love You! You’re Perfect! Now Change! at the Florida Repertory Theatre, and The Magic Flute at the Illinois Opera Theatre. Regional design credits include The Santaland Diaries at New Edgecliff Theatre in Cincinnati, Seussical at La Comedia Dinner Theatre in Springboro, and Happy Days at the West Virginia Public Theatre.

Tod Fish (Mr. Reed) is a sophomore theatre major with minors in music theatre and dance from Lima, Ohio. He has been seen in RUR (Henry Domin), and Head Over Heels (Dance Guy). And a big thank you to his family, friends, and dogs for always supporting him. He is very honored to present this amazing story.

Drew Grant (he/him,Tom) is a senior theatre major, with a minor in strategic communications. He is from Highland Park, Illinois, which is a northern suburb of Chicago. Previous Miami University Theatre credits include the cast of Independent Artists Series and the Miami University Fringe Festival 2021. At Miami, Drew also serves on the Interfraternity Council for Greek Life here on campus. Drew would like to thank his fellow cast members, crew, and production team for supporting him throughout

this process. Drew would also like to thank his friends and family for all of their love and support, but especially to his parents Rob and Tracy Grant, for which none of this would have been possible without them.

Nina Haurani (Assistant Costume Designer) is a junior theater major with a fashion minor. This is her first design role in a production at Miami University and she is excited for the opportunity. She would like to extend a big thanks to Lisa Martin-Stuart for providing her this opportunity to learn. Nina would also like to thank and congratulate the rest of the production team, cast, and crew on a job well done.

Katie Johnston (Sound Board Operator) is a fourth-year theatre major with an arts management comajor from Oxford, OH. This is her first time running the sound board and she is thrilled to be doing it with such a fantastic team. Previous departmental credits include assistant stage managing The Wolves and assistant directing two Miami Fringe Festival films: ONE and From the Many. Katie would like to thank her friends and family for their endless support of her ever-evolving dreams!

Michael Liss (he/him, Light Board Operator) This is Michael’s first time doing crew at Miami University. He has previously been in The Thanksgiving Play, as well as Stage Left shows and other student written/directed pieces. He would like to thank the rest of the cast and crew for making this wonderful piece of art possible.

Ian Montville (he/him, Sound Designer) is a junior integrated math education major. In the past, he has worked with the theatre department as a sound designer for The Thanksgiving Play. Outside of being a sound designer, he is working towards just making it out of college and getting his degree to become a high school teacher. He would like to thank Curtis Mortimore for providing him with this opportunity again, as well as the production team, cast, and crew for being the other parts to make this show possible.

Minh Nguyen (she/her, Assistant Stage Manager) is a junior theatre major with a co-major in arts management. These Shining Lives is her first show at Miami University working as an assistant stage manager. Minh is grateful for the opportunity to work closely with the director, cast, and stage managing team and for their incredible creativity and energy dedicated to this powerful production.

Jillian Northern (she/her, Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore theatre major with a co-major in arts management. She has been seen assistant stage managing for Maggie Ballard in The Butterflies’ Promise in the 2021 Fringe Festival and The Thanksgiving Play. Jillian is very thankful for the cast, director, and SM team for all the energy they brought to rehearsal every night. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Jamie Ellen Ripperger (she/her, Assistant Intimacy Director) is a sophomore theatre and arts management double major. Outside of theatre, Jamie Ellen works as a barista at King Cafe on campus. She would like to extend a special thanks to the director, Torie, for guiding her through this process, and to the production team, cast, and crew for making this production possible.

Tammy Sanow (she/her, Catherine) is a junior double majoring in theatre and English literature from Fort Thomas, Kentucky. She also works in the CCA Office of the Dean. Previous MU Theatre credits include RUR (Callida) and Mother Earth’s Gallery of Broken Things (“Blood on the Leaves”), as well as various works within the Fringe Festival and IAS. Tammy would like to thank the rest of the cast, crew, and production team for their amazing work on this beautiful show. She also thanks her friends and

family and loves them to the moon and to Saturn. Enjoy the show!

Abby Sokol (she/her, Charlotte) is a junior theatre and psychology double major, with a minor in education, teaching, and learning, from Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Previous Miami University Theatre credits include being in the cast of Head Over Heels and Mother Earth’s Gallery of Broken Things as well as Assistant Stage Manager of In Time in the 2021 Fringe Festival. For Stage Left, a musical theatre student organization, Abby was in American Idiot: The Rock Recital and Edges (Stage Left). She serves as president of the organization. She is also a Student Orientation Undergraduate Leader. Abby would like to thank her family, friends, and the cast and production team of These Shining Lives for all their support and love as we tell this important story.

Baxter Whitehead (Props Crew) is a senior at Miami University, double majoring in theatre and statistics. He has previously acted in The Thanksgiving Play (Caden) and She Kills Monsters (Chuck). He also wrote a one-act play, The End of the World, for Miami’s Fall 2021 Fringe Festival, and was the assistant director for the one-act Not Quite Morning in the Fall 2020 edition of the festival.

Marly Wooster (she/her Co-Lighting Designer) received a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Lighting Design from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. Marly has designed lighting for productions across the midwest including at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Madison Children’s Theatre, CATCO in Columbus, and the Clinton Area Showboat. Some of her favorites included Stellaluna, Mr. Burns: a Post-Electric Play, Richard II, Into the Woods, Drowsy Chaperone, and SHOUT!. At Miami University Marly teaches classes in lighting fundamentals, stage management, and other course for the Theatre Department and CCA. Marly has designed the lighting for many productions here at Miami, including the Big ‘ol Tiny Little Dance Concert in the Fall 2021 Fringe, She Kills Monsters, and Bat Boy.

Miami University Theatre Administration

Artistic Director Matt Omasta

Production Managers

Gion DeFrancesco, Marly Wooster

House Manager Jenna Burke

Administrative Assistant

Samantha Buchholz

Senior Accounting Assistant Lori Gouvan

Student Office Assistant Cassie Duker+

College of Creative Arts Administration

Interim Dean

Interim Associate Dean and Director of Interdisciplinary Programs

John Weigand

Julia Guichard

Assistant Dean and Lead Divisional Advisor Chad Reynolds

Assistant to the Dean for Operations and Finance

Carolyn DeWitt

Tasha Dean Program Assistant

Director of Marketing

Micah Current

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival , part of the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, is generously funded by D David M. Rubenstein.

Special thanks to The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting the John F. Kennedy Cent er for the Performing Arts’ Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Additional support is provided by The Honorable Stuart Bernstein and Wilma E. Bernstein; and the Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts

This production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). The aims of this national theater education program are to identify and promote quality in college level theater production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels.

Productions entered on the Participating level are eligible for invitation to the KCACTF regional festival and may also be considered for national awards recognizing outstanding achievement in production, design, direction and performance.

Last year more than 1,500 productions were entered in the KCACTF involving more than 200,000 students nationwide. By entering this production, our theater department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize, reward, and celebrate the exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation.

Our Next Production Angel’s Trumpet by Sharon Pollock

Zelda Fitzgerald was much more than her husband’s muse. She was an artist in her own right. Join us for an evening in the Fitzgerald home, as F. Scott pleads to have his struggling wife committed. Does the creative liberty and wellbeing of Zelda outweigh the fame and continuation of her husbands work?

October 26-29, 2022 7:30 p.m. and October 30, 2022 2:00 p.m. Studio 88 Theatre