Radium Girls: Discussion Ideas

English

• Time – The passing and concept of Time plays a major part in this story and a lot of our production centers around the idea of time passing as well as time running out. Time (the watches) is what ultimately drives the business, but it is also what the workers fight against as they fight for Justice (ex. the defense’s lawyer, Markley, uses time and delay to postpone the hearings hoping for the statute of limitations to run out.) How does time play a key role in the journey of other literary figures you have studied?
• Courage – The character Grace makes a determination to stand up to power despite adversity, including opposition from her family? What other examples in literature or even your own life have you seen this theme of courage (connection to Antigone?)
• Moral Dilemma – Arthur Roeder makes a choice to omit part of a study that implicates the harmful effects of Radium on the workers. Why does Roeder make that choice – is it greed or the belief in the product or something else? Which characters from a work you have studied face a similar decision?

Social Science

• This is a fiction story set in a historical context; how does this story (which is what history is – a collection of stories) relate to our current American story?
• What elements of history does the play illuminate? For example: How did the discovery of Radium impact the war effort? How did it relate to society at the time? How important were the radium dials to the success of the soldiers in WWI (was it worth it)?

Science

• Radium was touted as an incredible cure for cancer. History has shown us that it was not the case and that its proponents ignored studies and calls for further investigation. What/how is Radium used today? What replaced it’s luminous effects? How might this inform future practice of science? Are there controversial studies today that might have similar repercussions if not fully studied? What is the intersection of discovery, application, and ethics?

Theology

• What ethical and moral choices do the characters face in the play? For example, the character of Mr. Roeder decides to choose profits over people. He recognizes this dilemma and still makes a conscious choice to delete key information from a report. How does this relate to some of the studies/things you’re learning about in your class?
• Many other characters also try to exploit the radium girls’ situation for their own gain. What drives the idea of exploitation?
• Was Justice actually attained for the girls?

Fine Arts

• Music – how does the music used help tell the story? Can you identify musical themes that associate with certain characters and situations? What would the story be like without the music/sounds?
• Art – Look at the composition of the set and the choice in line, balance, asymmetry, and artistic symbols. How does one of these choices enhance the play and help tell the story? (maybe ask about character through costume/color?)
• Dance – There are many (over---) characters in this story – played by 11 actors. How do the actors’ movements throughout the story help to create character?

PE/Health

• At some point Grace had a feeling (she says she ‘knew’) something was not right with the paint. She even quits her job, angering her family. The show hints that many people knew it that something was wrong with the radium in the paint. Have you ever encountered a moment when you knew something was not good for you/your body but you felt like you ‘had’ to continue? If not, do you feel like you know of a substance that is available to you in that way? What might you say about the dilemma to make a choice for your body?
• Grace tries to reason with her friends and family - how might you talk to someone if you are concerned they are making unhealthful choices?

World Language

• Talk about the ideas of the play or the staging of the play in the target language – (describe the Character or play in Spanish/French).
•     How are the voices of from other countries valued or ignored in the play?