“These Shining Lives” opens Friday at Lake City Playhouse

‘These Shining Lives’ opens today at Lake City Playhouse

COEUR d’ALENE — “These Shining Lives,” which opens on the Lake City Playhouse stage today, chronicles the strength and determination of women considered expendable in their day.

Written by Melanie Marnich and set in the 1920s and early 1930s, “These Shining Lives” brings light to an era where working women were considered a novelty, given few rights and far less pay.

This show is based on the true story of the Radium Girls and their tragic outcome. In this story, the Radium Dial Company is a watch factory based in Ottawa, Ill. and is offering women a chance to finally get a well-paying job. The four main characters excitedly take the seemingly easy job of painting the hour markings on watch dials using a radium compound that glows in the dark.

Assured that the radium isn’t harmful, the ladies accept their great opportunity and set to work.

When they notice their hands glowing they assume it's just from the radium powder they use. When they begin to get sick, experiencing infections and bone pain, local and company doctors prescribe them aspirin assuming the women are simply being whiny.

The complete lack of concern brings the women to the big city where they seek a doctor willing to put his name on the line to aid the women in a lawsuit against the company that is quite literally killing them.

“This is not a tragic tale ... though it may seem like one,” said director Kristen Kilmer.

“This is a celebration of lives that were taken way too soon by a system of tradition and social injustice. These women died making a difference and the celebration needs to be in the fact that they knew it and they had control. They’re heroes!” Monica Thomas, who plays Charlotte, said she “loves underdog stories and it’s the best when they are true.”

“It’s because of these women that laws were put into place to make companies responsible for the safety of their workers,” Thomas said. “These women made a powerful corporation listen to them when everyone else told them to sit down and be quiet.”

These Shining Lives opens today at 7:30 p.m. and runs through March 8. Show times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at Lake City Playhouse, 1320 Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene.

Tickets are $22 for adults and $20 for seniors, students and military. Students paying at the box office can ask for the “student rush” price and get tickets for $15.

Tickets are available at www.lakecityplayhouse.org, by email at [email protected] or by phone at 208-676-7529. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.