these shining lives

the true story of the "Radium Girls"

New Jersey, 1917.


Catherine Donohue worked at The Radium Dial Factory in Ottawa, Illinois, painting watch faces with glowing radium paint. Paid by the watch, she and her coworkers were encouraged to dip their brushes in their mouths for finer points. Guaranteed the radium was safe, many women fell ill. Catherine fought back, suing the company and winning her case right before she passed away. Through Melanie Marnich's powerful drama, IVP brings this transformative story to life, showing how ordinary workers sparked extraordinary change in labor protection laws that continue to safeguard workers today.


Produced by Infinite Variety Productions

Written by Melanie Marnich

Subject matter: worker’s rights, labor unions, science

community response

These Shining Lives has fostered meaningful partnerships with organizations dedicated to worker safety and historical preservation. IVP's collaboration with The Cultural Committee brought sections of the production to their Health and Occupational Safety Seminar at The New York Academy of Medicine, demonstrating the play's ongoing relevance to contemporary workplace safety discussions.

The production's partnership with The Farmingdale Bethpage Historical Society for Women's History Month has connected local communities with the broader legacy of Catherine Donohue's fight for justice. These educational collaborations allow IVP to illuminate how the Radium Girls' courage established legal precedents that continue to protect workers today.

Through post-show talk-backs and educational performances, IVP has created dialogue between audiences and the historical significance of labor rights movements. Community members regularly connect Catherine Donohue's story to contemporary issues of corporate accountability and worker protection, recognizing how individual acts of resistance can create systemic change that safeguards future generations.

The production serves as both historical education and contemporary call to action, helping audiences understand the ongoing importance of workplace safety advocacy and the power of collective action in challenging corporate negligence.

Production History

May 2013: The Tank Theatre. Directed by Bridget Leak. Featuring Ash Singer, Maura Zooey Barry, Holly Kay Benedict, Jake Cullens, Dave Herigstad and Petol Weekes.

September 2013: Performed section for The Cultural Committee's Health and Occupational Safety Seminar at The New York Academy of Medicine.

2018: The Kraine Theatre and performance for The Farmingdale Bethpage Historical Society for women's history month. Directed by Jessica Schechter. Stage managed by Tobie Goldberg and Carina Don. Featuring Andrew Dunn, Darla Juniper, Jessica Mosher, Kara Hankard, Katya Collazo, Robert Whiston.