THE RADIUM GIRLS: A JAW-DROPPING New Musical Premieres In WCSU's New Works - New Voices Festival

On Friday, November 27th, The Radium Girls: A Jaw-Dropping New Musical will have its world premiere production, although it will look a little different from the one the show's writers, Amanda D'Archangelis, Sami Horneff, and Lisa Mongillo, envisioned when they began working on the piece in 2017.

The new musical, a female-driven, horror-laced dark comedy inspired by the stories and spirits of the incredible young women who worked the factory line at the United States Radium Corporation in the 1920s, will be presented in two live streaming events as part of Western Connecticut State University's New Works - New Voices festival.

"New Works - New Voices is a virtual production series that was developed by the Theatre Arts faculty at Western Connecticut State University," said Theatre Department Associate Chair, Justin P. Cowan. "The impetus for producing five virtual productions in a single semester was our desire to provide as many performance and design/tech opportunities as possible for our Theatre Arts students during these less than ideal times for the performing arts industry. After agreeing to produce five virtual productions this Fall, the questions became centered on what to produce."

As a faculty, they initially decided to dedicate the fall semester to only producing new works by contemporary and up and coming playwrights. That vision was further focused on only producing new work by writers and composers from underrepresented and marginalized communities. "The result," Cowan continued, "is an incredible collection of plays and musicals spanning a wide range of tonality and subject matter, all written by BIPOC, Female, and/or Queer Artists."

This series has provided nearly 100 student performance opportunities, countless student design/tech opportunities, and the ever important hands-on experience in developing new work. And the byproduct - five fully realized virtual productions - has been no small technical feat.

For The Radium Girls, students rehearsed through Zoom, their scene partners sequestered to tiny Brady Bunch-esque boxes on computer screens - separated, in some cases, by hundreds of miles. But the show's seasoned director and Coordinator of WCSU's BFA Musical Theatre Program, Tim Howard, did not envision this to be 'just another Zoom reading.' Instead, all of the students were provided green screens and mailed costumes and props, transforming their dormitories, apartments, and childhood bedrooms into miniature film studios.

Before the capturing of musical numbers on film could begin in earnest, the students were asked to record each vocal part individually (mostly via voice memo apps on their phones), guided by instrumental tracks meticulously arranged by composer Amanda D'Archangelis. Having never sung the parts together in the same room, students were forced to rely on their musicianship skills to cleanly hit harmonies and cut-offs. D'Archangelis, in collaboration with Cowan (who music directed) and a team of undergraduate sound designers, then mixed the voices on each track, which the student actors subsequently used to guide their physical performances.

"It's a coo coo bananas way of creating!," D'Archangelis said. "Things that happen organically in a rehearsal room, like blending harmonies and overall musicality, gets left to the music producer to ultimately finesse the finished product. It feels a lot like post production on a film, which has made this an incredible hybrid experience!"

Students used their iPhones, for the most part, to film themselves acting out each scene and musical number. Howard and his team then sifted through hundreds of takes and selected the best for every line, much more akin to the editing process on a film than for the development of a new musical. Howard then painstakingly storyboarded the entirety of the show's two hours, providing a detailed roadmap for the student and faculty technical wizards to create a one-of-a-kind experience, possibly unlike anything that has yet been seen in the COVID-19 era of theatre. A brand new, full-length musical has been brought to life, using visual effects to maintain the illusion of proximity between characters, though the actors (aside from a few roommate pairings) were never in the same room. It's a groundbreaking endeavor that blends theatre, film, and video conferencing - a perfectly distilled representation of art in quarantine.

"It's absolutely beyond our wildest dreams," reflected Sami Horneff, co-bookwriter and lyricist. "We never imagined that we'd end up with a product that was not only so fully realized, but so unique in the way it was both conceived and carried out. We are so grateful to the team at WCSU for giving us and our show this opportunity, particularly during a time that has been so heartbreaking for writers and theatre artists everywhere."

The writers are keenly aware of the fact The Radium Girls, though premiering almost 100 years after the events that inspired it, brings to light themes that are still present today. "It's a show about women who faced tremendous strife, whose world was turned upside down, which is more than a little relevant now. We hope audiences will be inspired by how they dealt with the real-life horror story in which they found themselves." shared Lisa Mongillo, co-bookwriter and lyricist.

With Broadway dark for almost nine months, the longest shutdown in its history, Western Connecticut State University's New Works - New Voices festival has proven that the artistic spirit that draws us to the theatre is very much alive and well. Performing arts students are still honing their craft, and although the world might look a little different when they graduate than it did for their predecessors, their yearning and enthusiasm to make art has not wavered. The opportunity to bring new pieces to life for the first time through the New Works - New Voices festival has not only provided the writers a chance to further develop their work, it has allowed the students involved to practice essential skills that will benefit them as they embark on their professional careers, particularly with the inevitable future rise of digital theatrical experiences.

"We are so grateful to these writers for entrusting our faculty and students with their words, their music, and their artistry," Cowan concludes. "It's been a joy to work on these projects, and we can't wait to see how each show continues to evolve throughout their developmental process."

For a full list of shows, writers, and streaming dates for the New Works - New Voices festival, visit: WCSU.edu/theatrearts

For Flex Pass tickets to the festival, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-works-new-voices-season-flex-pass-registration-123735800109?aff=erelpanelorg

For tickets to The Radium Girls, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-works-new-voices-the-radium-girls-a-jaw-dropping-new-musical-tickets-123066558389

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