In the aftermath of World War I, the glow-in-the-dark property of radium was a delightful novelty. It was applied to the eyes of dolls, fishing lures and watch hands, giving all of these things a luminous quality. Grace Fryer is one of many young women at United States Radium painting the compound on watches, which requires the brush to be as finely pointed as possible -- something the girls do by licking them. But when many of them fall sick, Grace begins to suspect the radium paint is not as harmless as the company claims. She soon finds herself fighting United States Radium in court to prove that the company knowingly exposed its workers to radiation poisoning. D.W. Gregory's drama
Radium Girls is inspired by the true story of Grace Fryer, who changed American labor law with her suit. Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents the play beginning this weekend.
8 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. (Mar. 13-22). Robert G. Reim Theatre (111 South Geyer Road, Kirkwood; 314-821-9956 or www.ktg-onstage.org). $20.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: March 13. Continues through March 22, 2015
