A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Welcome to the 45th season of The City Theatre of Independence. It is with immense pride that I return as the theatre's President for my third overall term. Work commitments necessitated a hiatus from the stage, yet I am thrilled to rejoin our talented performers, crew, board members and our audiences.Familiar faces greet me alongside new ones, all of whom I relish watching and getting to know.
With over 56 years of global theatre experience myself, I can confidently say that Independence should be proud of its community theatre—one of the finest I've had the privilege to be involved with. Reuniting with friends, both longstanding and recent, is a joy.
Seeing theatre veterans return to CTI is heartening, and I eagerly anticipate welcoming back more, alongside our new members, crew, board members, and growing audience. To the CTI community and our supporters, both longstanding and new, I've missed you. Thank you for welcoming me back. And now, it's showtime...
Jack L. McCord
City Theatre of Independence
President
A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
Warning: This play should make you angry.
The story of the Radium Girls is one that has been overlooked by many history books. Marie Curie’s discovery sparked immediate excitement in the science and medical fields. Radium provided long-sought cures and the world took notice. Everyone wanted their piece of the pie and no one thought of the consequences.
Like many of the innovative discoveries of the Industrial Revolution, success and distribution was borne on the backs of immigrants. While Grace Fryer came from an American lineage, her friends Kathryn Schaub and Irene Rudolph were grandchildren of German immigrants, and Amelia Maggia and her sisters were children of Italian immigrants. Aware of the dangers in other factories, the Radium Girls were considered lucky: Their job provided above average pay and a better work environment. Many of them provided for their families and had money left over to attend movies and dances and purchase the latest styles of clothing.
The play you are about to watch is based in historical accuracy. Most of the names and dates preserve the legacy of the fight of these courageous women. Grace Fryer, Katherine Schaub, and the rest of “The Living Dead” settled their case with US Radium Corporation in 1928, but the payout was short lived: Grace and Kathrine died in 1933, just five years later. But this is only half of the story. Another group of “The Living Dead”, led by Catherine Donahue, were fighting a similar case in Illinois. Not until Donahue’s lawyer took the battle to the US Supreme Court in 1939 did laws begin to change. Many of the Illinois dial painters never saw the compensation afforded them and Catherine Donahue died before the Supreme Court’s final decision.
As you seethe in anger from the mistreatment of Grace, Katherine, and the rest of the Radium Girls, I hope you are likewise inspired by Wiley and Berry. Use your anger as a motivation to inspire right and good in the world around you. Do not let powerful people and corporations hide the truth. And never, ever give up on fighting for the rights of others.
Together, we can create an inspiring, healthy world for everyone. Make every second count.
Lynnae Andersen
Director
