On Nov. 9, Patriot players had the opening night of their version of the play “Radium Girls.” The show ran for four days and had a total of five shows including two on Saturday. The curtain came up at roughly 7 p.m. and closed around 9:30 p.m., spanning about 90 minutes excluding intermission.
The cast and crew spent weeks preparing for the show and the set design they created was elaborate and impressive. The design mimicked a factory floor where the girls would work for a portion of the show. The set also featured a small rotating stage to the side used to portray different sets during the show including an office, health departments and a house.
The costumes were another vital part of the “Radium Girls” show. Each character had their own costume made and designed specifically for their character. They had hair and makeup done to resemble the time period, as well as to keep them visible to the audience under harsh stage lighting. They also spoke in accents resembling where their characters were supposed to be from, which also helped highlight the time period the story took place.
Throughout the show, the two leads, played by senior Nwamaka Aniagboso, and junior Miles Sklar, interacted with each other and other characters. Throughout the show, it could be hard to hear the dialogue at times as the microphones were typically too quiet. If you could hear clearly, the microphones would cut in and out, making the story hard to follow during certain parts or hard to understand.
Overall the acting in the show displayed talent from all cast members who ranged across grade levels. Every cast member embodied their character and no one ever broke character while they were on stage. They acted naturally and had a way of pulling the audience into the story in a captivating way.
However, the play overall was a little dark for a high school production. The main plot revolves around death, which can be harmful to younger audiences. These shows tend to attract kids of a variety of ages and the dark plotline could prove disturbing. Despite the intermission, younger kids and even some teens noticeably started to get restless during the last half of the show. Since the plot was so dark and the show was so long, it was sometimes easy to lose understanding and feel like you missed part of the show.
Despite the length of the show, the cast and crew did an outstanding job when it came to the sets, production, acting and overall ability to put on a show of such length and maturity at a high school-level age and experience.
