In Radiance, the new play by Howard Meyer of Pleasantville’s Axial Theatre, the protagonist finds herself investigating a cover-up involving toxic waste pits—and the radiation those pits may have been leaking into a nearby Native American reservation—after they were exposed by the 2000 Cerro Grande fire in New Mexico. “I was inspired by the idea of toxicity,” Meyer says. “By the toxicity in relationships, the toxicity in the Earth, and toxicity in the way that the Native American communities have been treated.” The idea came to him during his own travels in New Mexico, but Meyer admits that the concerns present in the play also hit close to home. “Periodically, there’s huge debate about the integrity of Indian Point,” he says. “That’s the day-to-day reality of my life, so I’ve always been sensitive to this issue.” You can see the premiere of Radiance from May 2 to May 19 at St. John’s Episcopal Church’s Community House in Pleasantville. For tickets, directions, and information, visit axialtheatre.org.
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