Black Box Theatre’s ‘The Radium Girls’ mixed history, art, science

Black Box Theatre’s (BBT) production of “The Radium Girls” deserves a glowing review – a bad pun for an interesting story and an ensemble production in which nine actors play more than 30 parts.

“The Radium Girls” is a true story of courage and heartbreak set at a factory in New Jersey in the late teens and 1920s where women working for U.S. Radium Corp., applied radium-laced paint to watch and clock dials and were exposed to and died horribly from radiation poisoning. Their fight against the men who ran the factory, and others in Connecticut and Illinois, and the doctors who lied about their conditions, led to major changes in health and safety conditions for industrial workers nationwide.

This is an important story that needs to be heard as reflected in a play that should be seen.

The veteran cast features some strong and moving performances, especially as the story develops.

It’s led by Debbie Jo Felix, who plays Grace Fryer (1899-1933), a “Radium Girl” who worked in the New Jersey factory and led the fight against U.S. Radium, and David Arias as company president Arthur Roeder (1896-1980).

The other seven actors – Joseluis Solorzano, Doug Abbot, Penny Bever, Autry Rebekah, Nancy Clein Tafoya, Genno Tafoya and Lisa Taylor– play other Radium Girls, family members, doctors, lawyers, newspaper reporters, Marie Curie and even a love-struck cowboy.

Kudos also to director Autumn Gieb for sharing this story and making it work, set designer Joshua Taulbee for the simple but evocative setting he creates and a fast-moving set crew.

BBT is located at 430 N. Main St. downtown.

Remaining performances are Fridays-Saturdays, Feb. 4-5 and 11-12; Sundays, Feb. 6 and 13 and Thursday, Feb. 10. Tickets are $10-$15.

Call 575-523-1223. Visit no-strings.org.