Review: RADIUM GIRLS at Smith Theatre

The Roaring Twenties brought economic growth and new discoveries including radium, an element discovered by Madame Curie that was heralded as a cure for cancer. Luminous watches were the latest rage—until the girls who painted them with the factory’s radium-based paint began to fall ill with a mysterious disease.  Based on real events, Radium Girls focuses on the young 14- to 15-year-olds who were working in these U.S. factories using paintbrushes. In their exacting work, the girls went from paint to lips to watch-face to keep their brushes tight and pointed. What wasn’t known? The radium poisoning was killing these young workers in an excruciating manner.  

I want to highlight the leading lady, Tessa Gibson, who played Grace Fryer. Her emotional depth and physical acting were so powerful that I was feeling true sympathy for her character the whole time. Tessa Gibson had the challenging part of playing a young girl falling in love, working in dangerous conditions, taking care of her family, and portraying someone slowly getting less and less healthy throughout the show. All aspects impressed me, but one of my favorite parts of her performance was her chemistry with her onstage love interest, Tommy Kreider, who was played by Cooper Miller. Cooper Miller played one of the principal roles and took on several more minor roles throughout the performance. Sometimes, when one actor changes roles throughout the show, deciphering between the characters they portray can be distracting. Still, he pulled off this feat by changing his voice and posture to portray new characters and seamlessly transitioning back and forth. Speaking of versatility, Lauren Burry is a powerhouse portraying Madame Curie, Clerk, and Katherine Wiley. She toggled between the renowned scientist and the formidable Katherine Wiley. She captured each character with a beautiful grace and strength. Last but certainly not least, I want to highlight Kalen Rogers who played Arthur Roeder. He has a wonderfully powerful stage presence that was exciting every time he entered the scene. I must mention that the last show I saw him in was The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, playing a whimsical child, and in this performance, he plays the morally ambiguous CEO of a company with questionable intentions. The range of Kalen Rogers is so widespread that I forgot I had already seen it in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee because his character work was so well done in both performances. This show had me gripped from start to finish. 

More Information

Radium Girls plays March 14, 15, 21 and 22 from 7:30—10 p.m. at OCC's Orchard Ridge Campus in Farmington Hills. Performance will be shadow interpreted by StageHands Performance Arts. The Southeast Michigan company provides certified and licensed American Sign Language interpreters with specialization in theatrical and performance interpreting. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for seniors and students, and free for OCC students and employees. 

Photo Credit: Cody Martell.

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