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As I am rapidly approaching auditions for Radium Girls (p.s. VERY excited), I was curious if anyone has produced this with an "in between" casting.  The script calls for 9/10 actors all roles doubled or 38 without any doubling.  I would like to potentially cast 15-18 (many parts doubled...).  

I have started working out what this would look like then thought, "Hey my forum friends may have done this!"  So, I am asking. 

Thanks in advance!

Rain

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Raenell Smith
Speech, Theatre, English Teacher
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation
Whiteland IN
------------------------------

I did the competition version of this show. I have several girls and only a few guys(I had 5), so had to double the guys more than the girls. It worked well for the most part. I let my casting depend more on my individual students than the suggestion in the script. I had one costume change issue with an actor changing from one scene into the next (Tom/Neff I think) My main thought was create a few more leads, then use the rest as doubled characters. It worked out really well. It's pretty obvious once you break down each character by scene. It's such a great play too!

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Don Griffiths
Director of Theatre
Donelson Christian Academy

Original Message:
Sent: 08-02-2016 12:17
From: Raenell Smith
Subject: Radium Girls Casting Question

As I am rapidly approaching auditions for Radium Girls (p.s. VERY excited), I was curious if anyone has produced this with an "in between" casting.  The script calls for 9/10 actors all roles doubled or 38 without any doubling.  I would like to potentially cast 15-18 (many parts doubled...).  

I have started working out what this would look like then thought, "Hey my forum friends may have done this!"  So, I am asking. 

Thanks in advance!

Rain

------------------------------
Raenell Smith
Speech, Theatre, English Teacher
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation
Whiteland IN
------------------------------

I did the show several years ago and had 22 in the cast - 6 boys, 16 girls. The cast breakdown and a few photos are attached.  My school in NJ is only about 12 miles from the site of the factory in East Orange, so that made it very personal for the cast.  A few of the girls playing the dial painters even researched where some of the women had been buried and took flowers to their graves on opening night.  It was a profound experience for them and one of our most successful productions.

Best wishes for a successful show!

------------------------------
Susan Speidel
Chairman of the Performing Arts Department
Morristown-Beard School
NJ

Original Message:
Sent: 08-02-2016 15:05
From: Donald Griffiths
Subject: Radium Girls Casting Question

I did the competition version of this show. I have several girls and only a few guys(I had 5), so had to double the guys more than the girls. It worked well for the most part. I let my casting depend more on my individual students than the suggestion in the script. I had one costume change issue with an actor changing from one scene into the next (Tom/Neff I think) My main thought was create a few more leads, then use the rest as doubled characters. It worked out really well. It's pretty obvious once you break down each character by scene. It's such a great play too!

------------------------------
Don Griffiths
Director of Theatre
Donelson Christian Academy

Original Message:
Sent: 08-02-2016 12:17
From: Raenell Smith
Subject: Radium Girls Casting Question

As I am rapidly approaching auditions for Radium Girls (p.s. VERY excited), I was curious if anyone has produced this with an "in between" casting.  The script calls for 9/10 actors all roles doubled or 38 without any doubling.  I would like to potentially cast 15-18 (many parts doubled...).  

I have started working out what this would look like then thought, "Hey my forum friends may have done this!"  So, I am asking. 

Thanks in advance!

Rain

------------------------------
Raenell Smith
Speech, Theatre, English Teacher
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation
Whiteland IN
------------------------------

We did the competition version this year. We had 5 female and 5 male leads that doubled all the characters. However we also casted 9 additional radium girls. They started out alive in the factory and died one by one taking their place behind the scenes in a green light (Amelia started out behind everyone since she is dead at the beginning of the show. All leads end up back there except Harriet. That's the 13 girls.) It was very cool- we even got to take it to SETC! 

------------------------------
Brooke Jackson

Original Message:
Sent: 08-02-2016 12:17
From: Raenell Smith
Subject: Radium Girls Casting Question

As I am rapidly approaching auditions for Radium Girls (p.s. VERY excited), I was curious if anyone has produced this with an "in between" casting.  The script calls for 9/10 actors all roles doubled or 38 without any doubling.  I would like to potentially cast 15-18 (many parts doubled...).  

I have started working out what this would look like then thought, "Hey my forum friends may have done this!"  So, I am asking. 

Thanks in advance!

Rain

------------------------------
Raenell Smith
Speech, Theatre, English Teacher
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation
Whiteland IN
------------------------------

Thank you all so far for your answers.  We will see where auditions lead me.  

Loved seeing your pictures!

------------------------------
Raenell Smith
Speech, Theatre, English Teacher
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation
Whiteland IN

Original Message:
Sent: 08-02-2016 12:17
From: Raenell Smith
Subject: Radium Girls Casting Question

As I am rapidly approaching auditions for Radium Girls (p.s. VERY excited), I was curious if anyone has produced this with an "in between" casting.  The script calls for 9/10 actors all roles doubled or 38 without any doubling.  I would like to potentially cast 15-18 (many parts doubled...).  

I have started working out what this would look like then thought, "Hey my forum friends may have done this!"  So, I am asking. 

Thanks in advance!

Rain

------------------------------
Raenell Smith
Speech, Theatre, English Teacher
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation
Whiteland IN
------------------------------

A very flexible show.  I used about a dozen or so actors that never left the stage.  We had benches and costume racks stage left and right.  They exited one scene hung up the "coat" grabbed a "hat and scarf" and were ready for their next entrance.  It took some coordination, but it worked.  We went to town in Illinois that had the same thing happen.  We took lots of pictures and used them as projections.  I plan on doing the show again in our black box in the next couple of years..

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[William] [Myatt] [Director of Theatre]

[Pleasant Valley High School]

[myattw@pleasval.k12.ia.us][563-332-5151][Bettendorf][IA][USA]

Original Message:
Sent: 08-04-2016 07:06
From: Raenell Smith
Subject: Radium Girls Casting Question

Thank you all so far for your answers.  We will see where auditions lead me.  

Loved seeing your pictures!

------------------------------
Raenell Smith
Speech, Theatre, English Teacher
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation
Whiteland IN

Original Message:
Sent: 08-02-2016 12:17
From: Raenell Smith
Subject: Radium Girls Casting Question

As I am rapidly approaching auditions for Radium Girls (p.s. VERY excited), I was curious if anyone has produced this with an "in between" casting.  The script calls for 9/10 actors all roles doubled or 38 without any doubling.  I would like to potentially cast 15-18 (many parts doubled...).  

I have started working out what this would look like then thought, "Hey my forum friends may have done this!"  So, I am asking. 

Thanks in advance!

Rain

------------------------------
Raenell Smith
Speech, Theatre, English Teacher
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation
Whiteland IN
------------------------------

We had an awesome time with this production! I had 15 girls and 7 guys. I ended up casting Charlie Lee as a girl (Charlotte Lee) and it was magnificent -- obviously we bent history, as there would not be a woman VP during the 20s, but what if there was? The girl playing Charlotte did a ton of research on the first women in business (Coco Chanel was a big influence), and it was really fascinating! I loved doing this show - it was a blast. I even brought in the chemistry teacher who taught a special lesson on what radium was and how it worked! I brought in another kid to do dramaturgy and presented to the cast, and it was really awesome.

Here's how I broke up the roles:

Women:
Grace
Charlotte Lee
Katherine Wiley / Irene
Kathryn
Nancy Jane Harlan (Sob Sister)
Diane Roeder
Harriet Roeder/Anna Fryer
Mrs. Macneil / Mrs. Michaels / Board Member #2
Cora Middleton/Clerk
Dr. Knef / Photographer / Factory Girl 
Dr. Marie Curie / Board Member #3
Elderly Widow / Factory Girl
Then a chorus of Factory Girls, which I split up the lines for the opening of Act 2, in the background of the nightmare scene and had them help with transitions throughout!

Men:
Arthur Roeder
Tom
Dr. Von Sochocky / Raymond Berry
Jack Youngwood
Edward Markley / Dr. Flinn / William Bailey (*this was the only one that didn't work very well. People thought that Dr. Flinn was just Markley in disguise**)
Dr. Drinker / Dr. Martland / Board Member #1
Lovesick Cowboy / Judge

And here's a bunch of photos because I think they're so fun!

So much fun with fake blood for Kathryn! We used a vitamin capsule with the fake blood and she just popped it with her teeth and spit it all over! So fun! 

The opening moment of the play.

Markley, Wiley, and Barry. 

Kathryn, Photographer, Grace and Tom

Charlotte Lee and Roeder - "I trusted you!" 

Final moment of the play. We actually lit the "cigarette" with this really gorgeous lighter, which was awesome.

Anyway, it is a helluva play! If you have other questions, let me know! I loved doing this show, clearly, as you can see from my million photos :)

------------------------------
Kandace
Drama Teacher
WA

Original Message:
Sent: 08-02-2016 12:17
From: Raenell Smith
Subject: Radium Girls Casting Question

As I am rapidly approaching auditions for Radium Girls (p.s. VERY excited), I was curious if anyone has produced this with an "in between" casting.  The script calls for 9/10 actors all roles doubled or 38 without any doubling.  I would like to potentially cast 15-18 (many parts doubled...).  

I have started working out what this would look like then thought, "Hey my forum friends may have done this!"  So, I am asking. 

Thanks in advance!

Rain

------------------------------
Raenell Smith
Speech, Theatre, English Teacher
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation
Whiteland IN
------------------------------

You'll love this show!  I cast 23 (see attached).  I found I was able to use some people to watch Marie Curie's speech as well as audience for the trial.  I also attached a couple of pictures.

Enjoy!

------------------------------
Cindy Skelton
Drama Teacher
San Mateo Union High School District
Burlingame CA

Original Message:
Sent: 08-02-2016 12:17
From: Raenell Smith
Subject: Radium Girls Casting Question

As I am rapidly approaching auditions for Radium Girls (p.s. VERY excited), I was curious if anyone has produced this with an "in between" casting.  The script calls for 9/10 actors all roles doubled or 38 without any doubling.  I would like to potentially cast 15-18 (many parts doubled...).  

I have started working out what this would look like then thought, "Hey my forum friends may have done this!"  So, I am asking. 

Thanks in advance!

Rain

------------------------------
Raenell Smith
Speech, Theatre, English Teacher
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation
Whiteland IN
------------------------------