As a family of thespians, the Theater
Arts Department at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria was fortunate to
have acclaimed playwright D.W. Gregory visit Oct. 17 and share her opinion of our
fall production “Radium Girls,” offer insight into her interpretations of it
and how it is illustrated on stage.
According to the New
York Times, D.W. Gregory is “a playwright with a talent to enlighten and
provoke.” Gregory is renowned for her deeply emotional, comical and political
works, such as “Radium Girls,” “Salvation Road” and “A Good Girl is Gone: A
Dark Comedy. “
The intensity that she applies to
culture and society impacts students and adults alike. This passion and energy
are found readily throughout “Radium Girls,” a beautifully painted portrait of
love, life and the unfortunate breakdown due to lawsuits and a disease. “Radium
Girls” demonstrates that when people stick together, immense change can occur.
This message stood out to the student
cast of Ireton’s “Radium Girls.” Gregory graciously joined the team to
answer their questions, such as, “How do Tom and Grace feel about each other
after the curtain closes?” or “Does Markley feel any compassion whatsoever?”
and most importantly, “What does D.W. stand for?” In regards to Gregory’s name,
the cast had their theories.
Gregory explained her insight and
thought process while writing the play, which took her two years. She explained
how she wanted the play composed and what it should entail. Her most
enlightening statement to the students was, “A culture of compliance creates
victims.”
This is the takeaway Gregory wanted for
the audience after each show, and this resonated with the cast.
The cast looked at the show with a new
goal in mind after hearing her point of view on diverse subjects. According to
senior Olivia Hays (Diane Roeder in “Radium Girls”), she felt compelled to
“carry the responsibility and gift of portraying truth” in the show and her
future career as an actor.