These Shining Lives

Theatre Category: Actors Co-op TheatreTheatre Tags: Actors Co-op featured L.A. theatre guide L.A. theatre tickets Los Angeles theatre tickets Melanie Marnich NoHo Theatre Guide These Shining Lives

[NoHo Arts District, CA] – These Shining Lives, written by Melanie Marnich, directed by Thom Babbes and produced by Crystal Yvonne Jackson, headed to Actors Co-op February 21 – March 30.

In These Shining Lives, women in the 1920s are thrilled to earn high wages doing the delicate work of painting iridescent dials on watch faces in a factory in the Midwest. Catherine, a mother of twins, eagerly joins the workforce, but as she grows older, she and her coworkers discover that they all suffer from radium poisoning. Despite their deteriorating health, they courageously take action against the watch company.

What critics have said about the play:

“The stakes could not be more vividly portrayed. (Catherine’s) courage shines brighter as her body weakens.  Still, we leave the theater aching from the impact of this true tale, which only gains power from the artifice of its telling.” – ExpressMilwaukee.com                      

“…has a humanistic glow…clockwork precision…an initially comic and ultimately tragic look at how individual women find employment within a system more concerned with profit than safety.” – Variety

“Perfect, touching and wistful…and beautifully tragic.” – Talkin Broadway

“Subtly stylized language and a sensibility that’s delicately oddball, even when probing troubling topics.” – The Washington Post

“(Marnich) has an ear for warm, natural dialogue that eschews snarky quips and truisms…the play’s linguistic honesty satisfies.” – Time Out Chicago

The Cast

The cast features the talents of John Colella (Mr. Reed), Isaac Jay (Tom Donohue), Michael Kachingwe (Dr. Rountree/Radio Announcer/Leonard Grossman/Reporter), Allison Schlicher (Pearl), Abigail Steward (Catherine Donohue), Jessica Woehler (Charlotte), and Shannon Woo (Frances). 

The Team

The production team includes the talents of Thom Babbes (Director), Crystal Yvonne Jackson (Producer), Chloe Babbes (Technical Director), Toni Deaver (Apprentice Producer), Julia Hibner (Stage Manager), Nikki Alday (Asst. Stage Manager), Joel Daavid (Set Designer), Jeffrey Schoenberg (Costume Designer), Derrick McDaniel (Lighting Designer), David Marling (Sound Designer), Nick Santiago (Projection Designer), Judi Lewin (Hair/Wig/Makeup), Kevin Williams (Prop Designer), and Jessica Woehler (PR Director).

About Actors Co-op 

Actors Co-op operates two 99-seat Equity-approved theatres on the campus of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. Actors Co-op Theatre Company began in 1987 with a dozen actors. Currently, its membership exceeds 50 professionals. Called “a 99-seat miracle” by Daily Variety, Actors Co-op’s numerous awards for theatre excellence include the Los Angeles Drama Critics Polly Warfield Award for “Outstanding Season” (2013) in a small to mid-sized theatre, the Margaret Harford Award for “Sustained Achievement” in smaller theatre from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, the Charlie Award for “Excellence in the Arts” by the Hollywood Arts Council, as well as numerous Ovation Award, Scenie and Stage Raw wins.