By Betty Lou Roselle
Colonial Playhouse is currently offering an excellent production based on the book, ‘Deadly Glow.’ In the late 1910s, a company started to employ radioactive material for the painting of watch dials to help the military during wartime. Young women employees were instructed to lick their camel-hair brushes to a point before and after dipping brushes in the radium paint. These Shining Lives follows four of these women’s lives.
“These Shining Lives” spotlights four women who worked for the Radium Dial Company, a watch factory based in Ottawa, Illinois.
Maurizio Giammarco does an awesome job of directing. I have seen other plays incorporate video with live performance but this is the best I’ve seen so far. With the help of a talented cast, he has given us four completely different women who bond together to pull us into their lives.
As the play opens, we are introduced to Catherine Donohue, a mother of two who is excited to start her first job at the Radium Dial Company. She’s excellently played by Stephanie Donahue who moves smoothly from the role of narrator into the world of the play. Rich Szymczak does a fine job as Joe Donohue, Catherine’s husband.
Sharon A. Daws is spot on as the serious one of the friends, trying to keep her three friends from making bad decisions. Meghan Hanson is terrific as the spirited Charlotte. Hope Smalley is delightful as the youngest member (loved her switch to Catherine’s daughter).
Sam Gugino and Benjamin Kerr are both fantastic in their multiple roles and Liz McCallum does nicely as Dr. Dallitsch.
Christine Sangco captures the condescending attitude of the press perfectly.
This play reminded me of my father’s death. He was one of the engineers who worked on the Atom Bomb in Oakridge, Tennessee. He died young at 46 years and our family believed it was because of the radiation he came in contact with.
“These Shining Lives” is based on the true story of four women who worked for the Radium Dial Company.
This is a very timely story especially after going through the COVID years. There is still much more to be revealed about this but here are some facts from an Epoch Times article written in November of 2021: Data from VAERS from the COVID 19 vaccine itself, over 19,000 deaths are reported, 21,116 life threatening events, 29,000 permanent disabilities, 101,214 emergency room visits and 94,758 hospitalizations.
There are six performances left: September 27, 28, 29, October 4, 5 and 6. Don’t miss this outstanding production that will stay with you long after you leave the theatre.
Colonial Playhouse is at 522 West Magnolia Ave., Aldan, PA. Call 610-622-5773 or visit www.colonialplayhouse.net.