These Shining Lives • Center Stage Theatre Presents True Dramatic Tale of 'The Radium Girls'

‘The Radium Girls’, as we know them today, are remembered for the monumental changes for women’s and workers’ rights, which they fought for through their sacrifices. Now Midland Center for the Arts’ Center Stage Theatre will dramatize their quest for justice in These Shining Lives by Melanie Marnich on April 14 - 23, 2023. The Midland Center production is directed by Susie Polito and will be presented in the round with audience members on all four sides of the stage in the Little Theater.

This dynamic play chronicles the compelling true story of the young women employed by the Radium Dial Company who painted the faces of luminous watches with radioactive paint in the 20s and ’30s. We follow Catherine Donohue, who begins working with the excitement of a newly liberated woman entering the workforce, through her cancer diagnosis and the litigation she relentlessly pursued against Radium.

This transcendent story is a tale of resilience and triumph, as the women refuse to allow the company that stole their health to kill their spirits—or endanger the lives of those who came after them.  “The play is written like poetry,” said Susie Polito, director and Center Stage Theatre veteran. "We have assembled a cast of seasoned actors and newcomers to bring Melanie Marnich’s vision to life. We focus on the hope and positive change these women brought.”

These Shining Lives will run for two weekends beginning April 14th with on-stage seating in the Little Theater. Tickets are going fast and are available online at www.midlandcenter.org, by calling (989) 631-8250 or by visiting the box office at 1801 W. St. Andrews Rd., Midland.

These Shining Lives is sponsored by Isabella Bank. Theatre programs at Midland Center for the Arts are made possible in part through the generosity of Neil & Annmarie Hawkins.