Radium Girls - Irene

running lines

GRACE: Irene?

In here!

GRACE: Irene? What are you doing?

Shut the door.

GRACE: Is that bad?

Not for us.

KATHRYN: She’s gonna be sittin’ in this room all day. By herself, in the dark, checkin’ dials.

Poor thing.

KATHRYN: Poor thing.

So we’re gonna give her a little surprise

KATHRYN: Let her get mad.

That’s half the fun.

GRACE: I don’t wanna make her mad.

Oh Grace! Do you have to be that way about everything?

KATHRYN: Your teeth, Grace. Put some on your teeth.

Ain’t like Amelia don’t deserve it. She paints more dials than any girl on the floor. And can’t be bothered to talk to nobody either. You say “Amelia! What’s new?” She just looks at ya funny.

GRACE: I don’t think she can speak much English.

It wouldn’t kill her to smile would it?

KATHRYN: She’s comin’

Get the light!

KATHRYN: Where’s the switch?

For pity’s sakes, Kathryn! ………. Oops.

MACNEIL: Paintin’ yer face. Have ya gone off yer minds?

It was just a joke.

ROEDER: blah blah blah …well you’re playing into the hands of the Kaiser. And we don’t want that, do we?

No sir… Oh no! Etc.

SOB SISTER: —who each gave one dollar to support humanitarian research with radium.

Grace! Over here!

GRACE: Irene! Look! I got my certificate. Member, Marie Curie Radium Club!

You gave a dollar?

GRACE: It’s all for science!

Science! What about my room and board?

KATHRYN: You shoulda seen it, Grace! The church was filled with flowers. Lilies and carnations and orchids. You know how Amelia loved orchids.

They weren’t orchids.

KATHRYN: They were orchids, Irene.

Flags.

KATHRYN: No. It was like—heaven. I was gonna say, it was like heaven.

Like heaven? Kathryn: It was just a funeral. Ya make it out like it was some Valentino picture.

KATHRYN: It wasn’t just some funeral. It was Amelia’s. And it was beautiful. Ya shoulda seen it. The church was like…the botanical gardens…and the company sent a big spray of flowers, too. Carnations.

Mums.

KATHRYN: Yellow carnations.

Those were mums.

MACNEIL: Well you’ll do your best then. Since I have my instructions.

I need a new brush.

KATHRYN: I have my instructions, girls, I have my instructions.

Here’s an instruction for you, Macneil: Let some of the starch outta yer corset.

GRACE: Was she at the service?

Macneil? Are you kidding? Y’think she’d cross the street for her own mother?

KATHRYN: Well if it was me, I’da tried to get there.

Just lay off. Grace feels bad as it is.

KATHRYN: Oh yeah—lots of fellas from downstairs. Mr. Roth from the front office. Dr. Von Sochocky was there. And Mr. Roeder.

And he left early.

GRACE: George!

Jerry.

KATHRYN: I think it is George.

It’s Jerry. Jarry Mallon. He’s the one that was always talkin’ to Amelia in the day room.

KATHRYN: Really!

Oh for pity’s sakes.

KATHRYN: Well he did. Nobody could believe it.

So what if he did?

KATHRYN: Poor Amelia!

Poor kid.

KATHRYN: Her family took it awful bad, Grace. Albina, Quinta, everybody. Everyone of ‘em cryin’. Even her father, cryin’ so bad. I never saw a man cry before and not like that—just bawlin’ like a baby.

And y’know why too.

GRACE: ‘Cause their daughter had died.

What she died from.

KATHRYN: Irene. Don’t go spreadin’ stories.

It’s not a story. Albina told us. No reason Grace shouldn’t know.

KATHRYN: Ain’t it awful? Albina said her father’s fit to be tied, too—six girls at home and ain’t none of ‘em ever goin’ to a dance again

All because Amelia up and died from syphilis!

GRACE: Sh!

I can’t help it if that’s what she died from!

KATHRYN: It’s on the death certificate.

Anemia and complications from syphilis!

GRACE: But Amelia was ever so nice.

Guess she got around more than we knew.

GRACE: Maybe it’s a mistake. Maybe the doctor got it wrong.

Come on.

KATHRYN: That’s true. Doctor was wrong about Aunt Ivy.

What’s mama got to do with it.

VON SOCHOCKY: And so, ladies! Let us wish Mr. Roeder the very best in the new direction he intends the company to take.

New direction?

GRACE: Irene? Honey, you all right?

Huh? Yeah, sure. Why wouldn’t I be all right? … What?

Board Member line.

ROEDER: Gentlemen, I want you all to make statements on what happened this morning. We’ll send them to the State Dental Society. Then Dr. Knef will see who’s playing ball and who isn’t.

An excellent idea.

Board Member line.

BOARD #1: And in the court of public opinion, we’ve already lost!

Perhaps we should reconsider. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have testimony from a dentist who treated those girls.

Board Member line.

ROEDER: Dr. Flinn is a highly respected professor at Columbia University. Knef is a neighborhood dentist.

But Dr. Flinn treated some of the girls, didn’t he?

Board Member line.

BOARD #3: That’s the most important thing.

Yes, I agree. That’s the most important thing.

Board Member line.

BOARD MEMBER #1: Would you agree to something like that, Mr. Roeder?

Mr. Roeder?

MADAME CURIE: And who isn’t?

Get up, Grace!

MADAME CURIE: We all have to make sacrifices sometimes.

I know I did.

GRACE: Kathryn! Don’t do that! (…Suddenly Kathryn spits up blood.) Kathryn?

Oh now look what you did, Grace! She’s bleeding all over the dials.