Based on real events from the early 20th century, Radium Girls tells the story of young women working in factories painting with radium-based paint while being unaware of its deadly effects, resulting in their painfully slow descent into radiation poisoning. At the same time, the companies denied responsibility.

The adaptation of D.W. Gregory’s play is coming to Morton West this week, courtesy of Morton West Theater. And, while portraying the lives and untimely deaths radium girls such as Grace Fryer, Katherine Schaub, and Edna  Hussman can be emotionally taxing for performers, running the production from behind the scenes as part of the crew is also a taxing endeavor.

While the story is heavy and heartbreaking, the process of bringing it together backstage was anything but quiet.

One of the biggest parts of making the play’s world as real as possible was the costume design. Since the story takes place in the early 1920’s, the costumes team had to carefully research the time period.

According to Evelyne Valadez, a member of costumes, understanding the historical period was the most important first step. “Probably figuring out first, obviously, what year it is and doing background research on it, like searching images and inspiration,” Valadez noted.

The costumes team also looked at real photographs of the girls. “We searched up the pictures since they were real people…but we also took from the play and it’s very popular, and we just took inspiration from that,” she added.

The crew has also faced challenges backstage while making sure everything runs smoothly. Even the smallest aspects of a clean and functional production can be problematic, according to Stella Perez, a crew officer.

“Challenging things are…split screws or stuff,” she said.

For the cast, the biggest challenge was the emotional weight of the story, making some scenes difficult. Because the play is based on real history, many actors had to think deeply about the experiences of the women they were portraying,

“There are some moments when they weren’t believing the girls that they were actually going through this experience,” Diana Ferreira said, who plays the mother of one of the radium girls.

Radium Girls opens at the Morton West Auditorium on Thursday, March 12, and continues through Sunday, March 15.

The hard work behind the scenes makes the performance possible, so, don’t miss your chance to see Radium Girls on stage!