HENDERSON, Tenn. — For Freed-Hardeman University student director Natalie Barker, the beauty of “These Shining Lives” is found not only in the true story behind it but also in the joy its characters find in one another, even as their lives take a devastating turn.
“This show finds the joy they have in being together,” Barker said. “It’s sweet and heartwarming.” FHU Theatre will bring that story to the Black Box Theatre Oct. 1-3 at 7 p.m., with an additional 2 p.m. performance Saturday, Oct. 3. General admission tickets are $15, and tickets for FHU students are $5.
Written by Melanie Marnich and inspired by a true story, “These Shining Lives” follows four young women whose friendship, work and hopes for the future are forever changed while working at the Radium Dial Company in Ottawa, Illinois, in the 1920s. There, women painted watch and clock faces with radium-based paint that made the dials glow in the dark.
At the center of the story is Catherine Donohue, played by Olivia Evans. Catherine joins Charlotte, Pearl and Frances painting the luminous dials, earning money and experiencing a measure of independence unusual for many women of the era. But the work that initially offers opportunity carries a devastating cost. As the women become ill from radium exposure, they are forced to confront the company and fight for justice.
Barker is directing the production as her capstone project. She was drawn to the way Marnich’s dramatization explores the bonds among the women rather than allowing their tragedy to completely define them. “The story is so heavy,” Barker said, “but there is also joy in the time the women have together.” That perspective shapes what Barker hopes audiences carry with them when they leave the theatre.
“We have value in our lives, no matter what we’re going through,” Barker said. She hopes the production leaves audience members asking themselves what they can do with the time they have and who they want alongside them as they live it.
Those ideas about relationships have carried into the production process as well. Barker said the cast and crew have become a group of people who can rely on one another while working together to tell a difficult story.
For Barker, one of the greatest challenges in directing “These Shining Lives” has been the responsibility of portraying people who actually lived. “The challenge is telling a true story of real people,” Barker said. For her, doing justice to those women means continuing to tell their story. “Keep them alive by telling their story,” she said.
Evans leads the cast as Catherine Donohue, with FHU alumna Madison Parker as Charlotte, sophomore Jenna Salvato as Pearl and freshman Amber King as Frances. Freshman Henry Kreinbrink portrays Tom Donohue, and senior Drew Bramblett plays Mr. Reed. The production also features set design by FHU alumnus and staff member Nate Cass, costumes by freshman Faith Secula, lighting by freshman Tim Hinckley, sound by senior Levi Secula and stage management by senior Aubrey Gibbs.
The mission of Freed-Hardeman University is to help students develop their God-given talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship and service. With locations in Henderson and Memphis, FHU offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees. More information is available at fhu.edu.
