For the SMSU theater students and volunteers, the past two weekends have been busy. The entire cast and crew have been hard at work putting on six different performances of the “Triangle Factory Fire Project.”

It was well worth the effort.

The production follows the tragedy of the of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire that took place in March of 1911. One-hundred and forty-six workers were killed, most of them being young, immigrant women.

The play is split into two acts. The first centers around the actual fire and the stories of the victims as they try to escape. The second is about the trials occurring following months in which the public attacks the company for locking people inside.

During the play, the cast did a phenomenal job of creating a realistic and heartbreaking performance. The characters were based on real people who had first-hand accounts of being inside the burning building. The scene of the fire was not as many may expect; instead of a “real time” scene where you see people running around trying to escape the flames, it’s almost feels as if you’ve experienced it in slow motion. When one person spoke, the rest would stand still and go silent, making each speech intensly personal. Each character narrated their perspective in such a moving way it was almost impossible to not get goosebumps.

One particularly emotional scene involved Margaret Schwartz and Kate Alterman, coworkers and best friends, as the two desperately attempted to open a locked door that lead to another building.

Margaret ultimately collapsed and died in front of the door, an important incident, which was mentioned in the second half of the play. During the trial, Kate is endlessly questioned about the details of her friend’s death. The continuity of the scene created a strong sense of characterization and realization of the extent of the tragedy.

The Triangle Fire Factory Project’s ending created a sense of unease, as it was not a happy ending for the surviving factory workers. The production used the ending in effort to educate about the appalling factory conditions of the time, conditions that continue even now. Merely weeks ago, a factory fire in Bangladesh broke out with eerie similarities to the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, also killing and injuring many of their workers.

Overall, the production was entertaining, informational, and created a point of relevance today. Many do not realize the horrible conditions factories still have, especially in poorer countries.

Though tragic, it was refreshing to see a play that informed viewers about current social issues around the world.