Pearl River High School Presents "Radium Girls"

PEARL RIVER, NY — Students at Pearl River High School will be performing a play based on a true story from the annals of public health disasters, "Radium Girls" by D.W. Gregory.

In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie an international celebrity, and luminous watches the latest rage - until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease.

Inspired by a true story, "Radium Girls" traces the efforts of Grace Fryer, a dial painter (played by PRHS senior Krista Marinelli), as she fights for her day in court. Her chief adversary is her former employer, Arthur Roeder (played by PRHS junior T.J. Sullivan), an idealistic man who cannot bring himself to believe that the same element that shrinks tumors could have anything to do with the terrifying rash of illnesses among his employees. As the case goes on, however, Grace finds herself battling not just with the U.S. Radium Corporation, but with her own family and friends, who fear that her campaign for justice will backfire.

The entire cast of "Radium Girls" is made up of 20 students from the high school, with many students playing multiple roles. Other leads include PRHS juniors Hanna Preston and Julianne Watson, along with sophomore Sara Slattery.

"Radium Girls" will be performed at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 28 and 29 at the Pearl River High School auditorium. Tickets for these evening performances are $10 and are available at the door. There will also be a special free performance for Pearl River senior citizens on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 3:30 p.m.

Pearl River High School is located at 275 East Central Ave. in Pearl River. Take the first entrance off of East Central Avenue and drive around the building to the flagpole parking lot. Both the main office and auditorium entrance are near the flagpole.

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