Hot off the heels of last year’s laugh-out-loud Noises Off and the smash musical Something Rotten!, Ridge High School’s theater department is back—lighting up the stage in more ways than one this time. Led by Theater Arts director Tim Lynch, Radium Girls took center stage on November 15 and 16 in the Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.
In the roaring 1920s, young, female factory workers in New Jersey unknowingly stepped into a deadly glow. Tasked with painting watch dials using radium-infused paint, they followed instructions to sharpen their brushes by licking them—each stroke sealing their fate. At first, they were inspired, wearing the glowing paint to speakeasies for fun. Soon, however, the dream turned into a nightmare. Mysterious illnesses began to emerge, claiming lives and igniting legal battles that changed workplace safety forever. Radium Girls brings this harrowing yet powerful story to the stage, finally shedding light on their courage and sacrifice.
“This isn’t just a story about tragedy—it’s about resilience and the power of speaking out,” Lynch shares. To prepare his cast, Lynch had them dive into historical photos and documentaries, to help them realize the harsh realities of the time. “We train like it’s the Olympics,” he says. “There’s no such thing as too much preparation.”
Ridge’s tech and costume crews pulled out all the stops to make this production unforgettable. The show saw haunting special effects galore, as each Radium Girl’s death is marked by her costume glowing ominously in the dark in the industrial-meets-modern set.
Known for their award-winning productions, Ridge High’s theater department has racked up accolades like Best Musical for Newsies at the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards and Outstanding Direction of a Play for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Montclair Statue Theatre Night Awards. With Radium Girls, they have once again delivered a show that promises to inspire, haunt, and glow in the minds of audiences long after the final bow.