Contaminated Native land in Radiance

Pleasantville's Axial Theatre Premieres 'Radiance' Saturday

By Meredith ShamburgerA new show at the Axial Theatre in Pleasantville focuses on contamination of Native American land by the Los Alamos National Lab.

“Radiance” by Howard Meyer opens Saturday, with a special reception at 7:30 p.m. It runs through May 19. A special “talk back” with Riverkeeper's Phillip Musegaas about the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant will follow on Sunday at 4 p.m.

The play is a fictional interpretation of real-life events. Obie-Award winning actor Chris McCann plays Billy Kountze, a nuclear engineer, in play. Christopher Grabowski, chair of the theater department at Vassar College, is directing.

“Radiance” was a semi-finalist at the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference in 2011 and 2012. It was a finalist at the 2012 Hormel New Works Festival at the Phoenix Theatre and the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre Playlab.Comment:  For more on Native plays, see Navajo Play About Domestic Violence and Williamsburg Teaches Black, Native History.