The Gorham High School Drama Department will be performing “Radium Girls” by DW Gregory on the weekend of March first. This play will be Gorham’s entry into the Regional One Act Festival. The one-act is directed by English Teacher, Josie Tierney-Fife, and includes a cast of seventeen actors.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, March first and second and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March third. Admission is five dollars for students, ten dollars for adults.

Tierney-Fife explained her choice of plays in this way: “ ‘Radium Girls’ is an inspiring historical drama about the real life “Radium Girls” – young women who stood up to their powerful employers and made progress for workers’ rights, even while they were dying from radiation exposure on the job. The play is fast paced, sometimes funny, and rooted in the sound and styles of the 1920’s, with lots of challenging parts for GHS Theater’s talented actors.

Junior Amelia Olrau described this experience, “As a cast, we work hard to create historically accurate portrayals of our characters to give them the justice they deserve. We immersed ourselves within research surrounding the ‘Radium Girls,’ Radium Corporations, court trials, and anything we could find to expand our knowledge on the show. We strive to educate our audience on the dangers these young women faced and just how powerful their impact was on American society. “Radium Girls” is a story that is nothing short of inspiring.”

Senior Aera Hyson added, “ ‘Radium Girls’ is such a powerful show, one about hope and perseverance. Despite all of their fatal ailments due to radium poisoning, they continued to fight for the justice they deserved. I’m honored to be able to tell the story of such determined and powerful women.” The cast List for “Radium Girls”: