‘Radium Girls’ Revamp

Denton directs her first play at St. Charles High

by Addy Hill, Staff Writer

Courtney La-Chance Denton made her SCHS directing debut with “Radium Girls” on Nov. 11. The play is based on the poisoning of female factory workers.

Denton was very excited for her first play here.

“I have a different style than Saubers, but I think it’s going well and everyone is adapting okay,” Denton said.

Chloe Leuke, a member of set crew, doesn’t mind the changes at all.

“Saubers and Denton definitely have different personalities and different ways of directing,” Lueke said.

Lueke also mentioned how they were able to take more breaks with Denton’s schedule.

“I’m pretty sure Saubers slept in the office more than home,”  Lueke said.

Cast member Andrew Schappe noticed all the differences in this play compared to plays from last year.

“They’re definitely different, there’s not as many set crews and a lot more breaks,” Schappe said.

Schappe likes the variety of the new cast for this play and thinks it’s working out great.

Damian Hawes the male lead for “Radium Girls” thinks that this year’s fall play is going a lot better and likes the changes made.

“Saubers was really a lone wolf and had all the students work on everything, but Denton brings in outside help,” Hawes said.

“Radium Girls” is a play about women in the 1930’s who worked in a plant painting watch dials with toxic glow in the dark paint. The company they worked for knew about the toxic paint, but didn’t inform the girls, resulting in many girls dying and a lawsuit on the company’s hands.

The 16 cast members for “Radium Girls” started rehearsing Aug. 29 and worked hard since Denton said. She also mentioned that the set crew worked just as hard as the cast making props for the set and working long hours.

Lueke helped a lot with the cast’s wardrobe changes.

“I do a lot of quick changes, a lot of our actors play many different parts,” Lueke said.

Not everyone was used to the smaller cast with all the different parts, but it worked out well according to Lueke.

“No show is always perfect, but we’re definitely close,” Schappe said.