Behind the Curtain

Senior Kealani Hughes of Portland, Tenn. (right) applies make-up to Sophomore Cavan Henderson of Lexington, Ky. before the performance of “These Shining Lives” in Russell Miller Theater on Saturday, Sept. 23. The play is based on the true stories of four women who became fatally ill from radium poisoning while working at a watch factory in the 1920s. Henderson’s character, a lawyer who defends the women against all odds, does provide some comic relief, though, “he’s going to get them the justice they deserve,” says Henderson.

Commentary and photos by Grace Pritchett

On Saturday. Sept. 23, the Department of Theatre and Dance put on “These Shining Lives”, a play about women in the 1920s, taking pride in their jobs until they learned that their jobs were killing them through radiation poisoning, according to WKU’s website. The play opened on Thursday, Sept. 21 and will continue being performed through Tuesday.