Radium’s discovery made Madame Curie an international celebrity and was considered a miracle cure for a myriad of illnesses. In 1926 luminous watches were painted with this wonderous glow-in-the-dark discovery, until the girls working in factories painting the watch dials begin to fall ill with an unidentified disease.

Written by D.W. Gregory, this story is inspired by true events following Grace Fryer, one of the dial painters, fighting for restitution against her former employer Arthur Roeder. Roeder attests this miracle element radium cannot possibly be something that treats tumors and also  be the cause of burgeoning illness amongst the factory workers. Called a "powerful" and "engrossing" drama by critics, Radium Girls offers a wry, unflinching look at the peculiarly American obsessions with health, wealth, and the commercialization of science. Tickets are $22 in the Rhynsburger Theatre.