See Kansas Wesleyan Theatre perform 'Radium Girls' during homecoming week festivities

In a drama detailing the true story of unforeseen deadly work conditions, Kansas Wesleyan University's Theatre students will work to honor the real-life characters they portray.

This week, you can catch performances of "Radium Girls," a drama written by D.W. Gregory, as the theater department's latest student production. The play follows men and women who worked for the United States Radium Corporation and were exposed to radiation while crafting luminous watch faces in the 1920s.

The play works to examine the social conscious of each character while discoveries about the negative and positive effects of radium were made.

Kansas Wesleyan Associate Professor of Theatre Arts Karen Brassea said the production was made possible through students collaborating in creative ways.

"One of the amazing things about theater is that it's a collaborative art form," Brassea said. "There are students who all help in so many different ways."

KWU Theatre students work to master a challenging production

Brassea's students requested to do a drama this year, after performing several comedy plays in the past.

She said the new style of production has been a fun challenge for the students, who come from many different areas of study. About 15 students are involved in the production of "Radium Girls."

"We have students involved in softball and baseball, we have a young man who's a volleyball player who is going to run sound for us," Brassea said. "We do the best we can to work for the power of 'and,' you know, 'You're going to do this and this.' Our students learn a lot of things through that."

Brassea said that is one of many reasons the theater program at Kansas Wesleyan is special — it brings people from all different backgrounds together.

One student, Guthrie Burch, stepped in as an emergency cover after another student suffered an injury.

Senior Theatre Arts major Tammy Houston plays Katherine Wiley, an advocate for those who were exposed to radiation, and the director of the New Jersey Consumer's League.

Houston's character plays a big part in getting information about radiation poisoning out to the public.

"She definitely has a moral compass that is unwavering, and a drive to help those who face injustice," Houston said about Wiley. "It's interesting because she's a woman in a man's world ... and she uses her womanhood and other people's false perception of her to bring things to light."

Other important characters in the play are Grace Fryer, a protagonist dial painter who was poisoned by the paint with radium; Katherine Schuab and Irene Rudolph, friends of Fryer; and Arthur Roeder, antagonist president of the radium corporation.

The production of "Radium Girls" will feature a wide range of costumes, props and decorations. There are also a puppets inspired by the work of Julie Taymor and her puppet that was used as a spirit in "The Tempest."

"(Taymor) demonstrated that with just one hand, you could do a lot," Brassea said.

For "Radium Girls," Brassea constructed puppets out of paper mâché and fabric that depict one hand and a floating head.

Representation from the Kenndy Center's American College Theatre Festival will be in attendance for the production to determine KWU's eligibility to perform at the event this coming January. They will be giving feedback to students after the show.

"It's positive for me to hear their point of view on our work as well," Brassea said.

When and where to catch performances of "Radium Girls"

There will be three performances of "Radium Girls" this week: 7 p.m. Oct. 19, 7 p.m. Oct. 20 and 2 p.m. Oct. 22. The shows will take place in Fitzpatrick Auditorium on the Kansas Wesleyan campus.

Complementary tickets are available for all patrons, courtesy of Eyecare Associates. But reservations are requested and can be made at www.kwu.edu/homecoming2023.

Kendrick Calfee has been a reporter with the Salina Journal since 2022. You can reach him at kcalfee@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, @calfee_kc.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Kansas Wesleyan Theatre will perform play during homecoming week