Director’s Note

As I begin my fourth year at Leyden, I've had the pleasure of witnessing our theatre company grow and transform with a wonderful group of students. This year's seniors have gone through it all, from an odd couple and a sponge under the sea to fighting princesses in a game, Gary Indiana, Harvard, and everything going wrong.  One adventure this group of students has not experienced is the opportunity for their theater to expand beyond the walls of Leyden. We are excited to welcome the 50th Annual Illinois High School Theater Festival play respondents to our school, where they can experience all that Leyden Theatre has to offer.  With this possibility in mind, I was in search of a production that would not only showcase our talents but also honor the past and celebrate the future.

My search began far and wide with my colleagues, students, and long nights of reading scripts for the perfect play.  When I came across Radium Girls, I was struck by how the women's voices and perseverance had significantly impacted labor laws and workplace safety.  I found the story heartbreaking. Young women painting glow-in-the-dark watch dials in the 1920s unknowingly poisoned themselves with the very substance they handled with pride.  The women trusted that the company was acting in their best interests.  Little do the women see that even though they might have been essential for the company's growth, the company "could not remember their faces."  Sadly, it seemed to be a story that still resonates today, with the company neglecting to make a change as they valued profit over human life.  With their strength and resistance, these ladies made sure that when the truth came out, their voices would never be silenced.  The bravery of the Radium Girls reminds us that progress depends on those willing to speak up, ask questions, and demand better. 

I hope that this message and experience not only inspires our audience, but also that our theater students will take pride in giving life to these voices that will also lift their own as they make their way into the world. Giving the new generation of artists, activists, and changemakers who carry that same spirit forward. 

May this production remind us all to honor those who came before us, and to continue their legacy by building a future grounded in truth, empathy, and hope. 

~Ms. Teslen Sadowski