The Diane Ballweg Theater is holding auditions for These Shining Lives on April 2nd from 7-10pm and April 4th from 3-6pm. 

These Shining Lives is based on the true story of thousands of women who worked for the Radium Dial Company in Ottawa, Illinois. The play showcases the danger in that workplace and highlights the wider lack of concern companies had for protecting workers’ health. Narrated by one of the workers, Catherine Donohue, the story begins in the 1920s with women getting well-paying jobs uncharacteristic in the United States at that time. It focuses on four women as they paint the hour markings onto watch dials using a radium compound. The company says that radium isn’t harmful, and even has health benefits. After a time, the workers notice that their hands glow in the dark. More ailments ensue, including jaw infections and bone pain. Several local doctors, including the company doctor, dismiss the women’s health concerns. The women eventually travel to Chicago to find a doctor willing to diagnose radium poisoning, a fatal condition. The women file a lawsuit against Radium Dial and win.

Want to sign up for an audition slot? Use the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4CAAAD2FABFBC43-48676930-these#/