Corporate greed vs. human life. Will this theme ever go away?

The first radium girl to die was Molly Maggia McDonald in 1922 at the age of 24. There are around 150 confirmed deaths due to radium poisoning, but those numbers are suspected to be frighteningly low. Some women did not experience symptoms until well after they had left their jobs. The lack of health care, public knowledge, and education left countless women wondering what had happened to them. These women suffered from anemia, sore throat, deteriorating jaw, bone decay, cancer, joint problems, and hemorrhaging. If they suspected something was wrong at their jobs, many were too afraid to speak up or couldn’t read, or speak English. And if they did manage to complain, they died before those complaints ever got addressed. In addition, it’s important to note that we continue to value some human life over others. Even after the United States Radium Corporation realized that radium was the cause of death and extreme illness in their lower-class immigrant factory girls, it wasn’t until the death of a male senior chemist that they started to take the findings seriously.

During this time, women just got the right to vote in 1920 and the right to a lawyer for indigent defendants wasn’t solidified until 1963. The fact that our heroines overcame unsurmountable obstacles to stand up to the corporate machine and the high-priced lawyers was nothing short of a miracle.

The tragic ending of the Radium Girls is the basis of the true courage these women showed. While many lived long enough to receive some compensation, the money mostly paid for their funerals. They never lived long enough to see that the case of the Radium Girls was one of the first instances in the United States in which employers were held liable for the health and safety of their employees -a legal precedent that still holds today. Their legacy is the creation of workplace safety regulations and of government oversight organizations like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.  

Lynn McNutt

Sadie Corley+ (Grace) graduated from Wagner College with a BA in theater performance. She is thrilled to be a first-year MFA in Performance student at FAU. Most recently she performed in Plano (Anne), Songs for a New World (Woman #2) , A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander ), and Chicago (Velma Kelly ). You can find her on Instagram @sadiecorley. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Paige Rogers+ (Kathryn, Society Woman, Harriet, Shopgirl, Board Member #1) (she/her) is a versatile artist with a B.A. in Arts Administration and Theatre from Drury University and training from The Actors Conservatory. As the Founder/Artistic Director of Small Umbrella Theatre Company and a former Managing Director of Staged!, she has acted in productions like Crimes of the Heart and The Amish Project. Enjoy the show!

Erin McQueeney (Irene, Miss Wiley, Board Member #2, Mrs. Michaels) ) is a Senior BFA Performance major and is thrilled to be a part of her third main stage here at FAU. She would like to thank God, her family & boyfriend for their endless support. Recent Credits include Firebringer - Snarl Right Hand/Keeri U/S (FAU), Xanadu - Girl on Bike (FAU). She hopes you enjoy the show!

Karen Cohen+ (Sob Sister, Macneil, Clerk, Mrs. Fryer) is excited to perform in her first show as a member of the MFA cohort. Regional credits: Clara in Memphis, Maggie Jones in 42nd Street, and Molly MacGregor in The Full Monty (LPAC) ; Nun in Sister Act (MNM) ; Steffy in I Ought to Be in Pictures (WBTC); and Fräulein Kost in Cabaret (PPTOPA ). Karen previously worked as a drama teacher and has directed many student productions. She wishes to thank her husband and kids for their support. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Casey Venema+ (Mrs. Roeder, Madam Curie, Customer, Board Member #3) is a graduate student in the MFA-Performance program. She hails from Cleveland, Ohio, where she worked as a freelance actor, director, and intimacy director after graduating with a Theatre/Film and Media Studies degree from Bucknell University. Recent acting credits include: Anything Goes (Reno Sweeney); Sweeney Todd (Pirelli); Jesus Christ Superstar (Pilate); Twelfth Night (Sebastian); White Christmas (Betty Haynes). Follow Casey on Instagram at @caseyvenem8!

Carson Carter+ (Lee, Bailey, Drinker, Lovesick Cowboy, Male Shopper, Court) is a graduate student in the MFA Theatre Performance program here at FAU. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI. He was most recently working in the Chicago area. Being from northern Minnesota he never anticipated living in south Florida but is enjoying it immensely and is extremely grateful to be a part of the program here at FAU. Instagram: @CarsonTCarter

Jonathan Leslie Palmer+ (Berry, Martland, Flinn, Store Owner) is currently an MFA Acting student. He has his BA in drama from Morehouse College. He is excited for his first performance at Florida Atlantic and would like to dedicate this performance to his mother and father, and dog Shabooski.

Josh Wilde+ (Tom, Reporter, Knef, Venecine Salesman) is an MFA Acting student at FAU. He is from Buffalo, NY and graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Ithaca College in 2019. Select professional and educational theater credits include The Importance of Being Earnest (Jack), Angels in America (Louis), The Aleph Complex (Borders Guy), and Ragtime (Henry Ford/Ensemble). Josh recently served as Secretary for the "Association of Regional Theatre Artists of Western New York" (ARTA).

Gustavo Garcia+ (Ma rkley, Von Sochocky, Elderly Widow, Photographer) A multidisciplinary South Florida theatre artist, he is the founder and Artistic Director of Think Now Theatre Co., which premiered Fool For Love in August 2024. With a BFA in Performance from FAU, he is now pursuing an MFA. Select credits include Eddie (Fool For Love), Fred in A Christmas Carol, and various roles in productions with FAU and Barclay Performing Arts.

Robert Koutras+ * (Roeder) : An accomplished theatre artist with Off-Broadway credits in Sessions (Original Cast) and national tours of The Full Monty and Grease. Regional highlights include Daniel’s Husband (Daniel), Cabaret (Ernst Ludwig), and Next to Normal (Dr. Madden, Carbonell nom.) at Zoetic Stage, as well as Bonnie & Clyde, Head Over Heels, and Parade (Carbonell nom.). TV/film credits include Nickelodeon’s Team Umizoomi. He is developing an original musical, The End. AEA member with a BFA from Ithaca College.

Geraldine Monsalve (Female U/S, Crowd, Girl Person w/Newspaper, Ensemble , Board Member, Ensemble ) is a senior BFA in the musical Theatre Performance concentration. She is very grateful for her 3rd main stage opportunity at FAU. She has been seen previously as part of the ensemble in a Chorus Line, Xanadu, and Theatre Lab’s “As I Eat the World”. She’d like to thank her family and partner for all the support.

Jakari Dozié+ (Male U/S, Crowd, Businessman, 3 Person w/ Newspaper, Ensemble Sc, Board Member)Jakari is a first-year MFA candidate from Miami, Florida. In the spring of 2024, he graduated from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance. During his time at FAMU, he starred in several notable productions, including Calming The Man, Sweet Mama Stringbean, The Waiting Room, Romeo & Juliet: A Miami Love Story, Two Trains Running, and Pipeline.