Uncomfortable stories need to be told

Stories about mythical Greek gods and heroes, 1920s radium dial painters in New Jersey, and 1930s nightclub goers in Berlin may not initially seem to have much in common. However, all of these stories present their own challenging truths, and all of them are coming to life on stages across Sweetwater County this weekend.

"Hadestown (Teen Edition)," performed by the Green River High School Theater Department, is a musical retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. "Radium Girls" from the Actors' Mission tells the true story of young women who sued their company after radium-based paint made them sick. "Cabaret" is also based on true events, this time following the stories of individuals during the fall of the Weimar Republic in Germany, and is performed by the Western Wyoming Community College Theater Department. 

All three plays combine elements of humor and levity with serious and tragic stories, but the casts and crews behind all three productions hope that audiences will go away reflecting on the themes and messages that are relevant today - even when those messages are hard to accept. 

"I think that at the very end of the story, the message can be kind of uncomfortable," Grace Gomez said of "Hadestown." "But I think that it's important to have uncomfortable conversations," she continued, "because those stories still need to get told."

"Way down Hadestown"

Grace Gomez has a unique part in telling the uncomfortable story behind "Hadestown" at GRHS as she plays Hermes, the Greek god who serves as a sort of narrator for the musical. 

Gomez has help telling the tale from a large group of fellow cast and crew members, as well as a live band that performs on the stage alongside the actors. 

"I think it's a really cool experience to get to see the band with the performers," Patyon Shiner, who plays Orpheus, commented. 

The musical is also largely sung-through, with few spoken lines of dialogue. Several cast members said that this made the show easier to memorize, although they agreed that the music itself has been challenging vocally. 

The production has come with other challenges as well, including having only two months to rehearse, which is shorter than normal, and being the first theater in Wyoming to do the musical. Still, cast members agreed that the show has been rewarding, both as they've created friendships with their castmates and learned about themselves through their characters. 

When it comes to the story itself, the actors acknowledged the change between the upbeat beginning of the play and the serious turns it takes. While people might even be disappointed by the ending, according to Gomez, she said that the overall message of the show goes deeper. 

"It tells the truth," Rhiannon Schultz, who plays Eurydice, added. "There are bad endings, and you still have to get through it." 

Schultz said that the musical also shows the power of going after the things you want. 

"Even though there's hard roads, you should go for it, even if you don't make it, because it's about the experience you had," she said. 

Audience members might be surprised by just how sad the show is, according to Madelyn Thomas, who plays Persephone. However, she added that the show can be a wake up call for people to learn to not take things, or people, for granted. 

"Something that I would like people to take away from this is that love is so important," she said. 

Director Bradley Skinner said he hopes the community will come to the show and give it a shot, because while many audience members won't be familiar with the musical, he believes they will fall in love with it, and be moved by it. 

"It's a powerful story," he said. 

"Radium Girls knock at the doors of justice"

Another powerful story is that of the "Radium Girls," told in the latest play by the Actors' Mission. 

"It's about the power of the individual voice speaking up against unjust systems and corporations that take advantage of people," Director Heather Pristash explained. 

The play follows the story of girls who worked at a plant painting dials and watches to glow in the dark, using a paint that contained radium. The girls would point the tips of the paintbrushes in their mouths. After time, when they began to experience serious health problems, the girls took their company to court over the issue. 

"They stood strong, even when their bodies were failing, to make sure that they both had justice and created a precedent that still benefits American workers to this day," Assistant Director Caleb Smith said. 

The story of the radium girls was one that both Pristash and Smith wanted to bring to the stage, but one that proved to have many challenges in doing so, from the fact that the play takes place over multiple years to the fact that the show has 26 scenes, "very few of which are set in the same place twice," Pristash explained.

However, perhaps the biggest challenge was the amount of people needed to tell the story. The production features actors from both Green River and Rock Springs, and is one of the largest casts in Actors' Mission history. 

"We have an amazing, amazing cast," Pristash said. "We have unbelievable amounts of talent... However, in having that range of talent, we also have nearly 30 freaking people. People have compared it to herding cats, and...they're not wrong." 

Despite the challenges, Pristash and Smith are pleased with how the play has come together, and are excited for the chance to share a story that they believe hasn't been told often enough. 

Pristash stressed the importance of the story to issues that people still face today. 

"It could not be more relevant," she said. "These are the ultimate powerless women...They still manage to make their story heard and make their voices heard. If they could do it, everybody today who is upset about something has the ability to do it." 

"Life is a Cabaret"

When it comes to those who spoke up, and those who didn't, throughout history, the fall of the Weimar Republic and rise of the Third Reich in Germany provides stark contrasts. "Cabaret" takes place in this era while following "two sets of star-crossed lovers set amongst the backdrop of a seedy nightclub in Berlin," according to Director Anthony Romeo-Adcock. 

While the story is perhaps most well-known due to the movie starring Liza Minnelli, Romeo-Adcock pointed out that the plot is based on a series of short stories written by Christopher Isherwood about his experience in Berlin in 1929 through 1931. 

The musical tackles heavy issues and features mature themes, and is recommended for adult audiences only. While this presents some challenges and limitations, it also presents opportunities, especially for those involved in the production. 

"We need to make sure that we're tackling this kind of serious material that these students are going to be required to do moving forward," Romeo-Adcock said. "We need to make sure that educationally they're getting what they need." 

The show also provides opportunities for community members, like The Starling Company Founder Kenny Starling and The Horizon Theater Co-Founder Cory Schaeperkoetter. 

With both community members and students, the cast for "Cabaret" is large, as is the production, with cast members doubling as stagehands. Even with a big show, however, Romeo-Adcock wants the audience to feel like they're part of the story. One of the ways he hopes to accomplish this is by taking out the first row of seats in the theater, dropping the stage to open up the orchestra pit, and adding Cabaret-style tables that audience members can sit at to be close to the action. 

"I think that when we're able to break that fourth wall...and make it an immersive experience for the audience, they're more inclined to buy in and want to be a part of the show," the director said. 

Being part of this show in particular is important as audience members are forced to confront difficult topics through the lens of the characters and story. While addressing these topics, Romeo-Adcock put extra emphasis on making sure to present multiple perspectives and be accurate in sharing information. 

"I've worked really, really hard to make sure that I am telling a universal story that is based in truth and fact, and not telling an opinionated story that is based on current politics," he explained. "This is a universal story, and this is a story that happened."

While presenting these facts, telling the story through the lens of specific characters helps make the heavy themes more approachable, according to Romeo-Adcock. 

"We get to see what's happening through the character's eyes, but then when we start to connect with one of the characters on stage, ultimately we end up seeing it through our eyes, and usually learn something about ourselves in the process," he said. 

How to see the shows

Hadestown

Show at 7 p.m. March 6, 7, 8 and 10

Matinee at 1 p.m. March 8

Green River High School Theater

Tickets - $7 online or $10 at the door

Radium Girls

Show at 7 p.m. March 6, 7 and 8

Complimentary meal served at 6 p.m.

Broadway Theater in Rock Springs

Admission is free, donations accepted

Cabaret

Show at 7:30 p.m. March 6, 7 and 8

Matinee at 2 p.m. March 8

Western Wyoming Community College theater

Tickets- $13 adults, $8 youth and seniors