CAMPUS NEWS
Fall Play Paints Powerful Picture
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efore there was the fictional Norma Rae Wilson or the actual Erin Brockovich, there was Grace Fryer. As demonstrated by Radium Girls, the Nonesuch Players’ fall drama production, Fryer deserves a place among those women who spoke truth to power and led successful efforts to hold corporate polluters accountable for their transgressions. Set in the years just after World War I, Radium Girls tells the story of the young female factory workers who painted watch and clock dials with
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radium, the recently discovered glowin-the-dark element that was also touted as a miracle cure for an array of ailments. Far from being a cure-all, of course, the substance proved to be harmful and ultimately deadly. The workers fell sick as a result of their exposure, and Fryer led the fight for justice for her fellow “radium girls.” At Rivers, Grace Fryer was movingly portrayed by Leila Saponaro ’24, with able support from a talented cast, many of whom took on multiple roles. Said producer Julia Auster-Hogan, “The most
rewarding part of this show was seeing the characters come to life as the cast not only worked hard but got closer as friends. They grew more and more comfortable taking risks on stage and, with the help of director Juliet Bailey, supported each other in being bigger and bolder with their lines and blocking.” Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, said Auster-Hogan, the cast and crew developed a positive esprit de corps. “As odd as it sounds, it was a joy to watch them tell this heartbreaking story.”