Customer Reviews

The Children's Hour - Acting Edition

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Lillian Hellman's 1930's play of two boarding school teachers accused of being lesbians is not for the faint of heart or closed of mind. The play is very difficult to act, demanding of the two female leads absolute concentration, wide emotional range, and utter professionalism. It is also difficult to direct, as the script is very centered on dialogue with most of the central events occuring in the Greek style, outside of the scene. However, a skilled and dedicated cast and director can certainly create a beautiful and terrible prodution capable of seizing everyone in the house with the sheer force of its words. It is certainly just as fresh now, and perhaps even more so, than it was when it was written, sixty years ago. If you're looking to be challenged by a play, you could do little better than The Children's Hour.

Lillian Hellman's magnificent, heart-wrenching, ground breaking and beautiful 1934 play takes the aforementioned commandment and creates a stunning cautionary tale that is not for the weak of heart. The perniciousness of lying and the often tragic consequences therein form the spine of this, Hellman's first major success on the Broadway stage.

Concerning a scandal at a private girl's school, Hellman bravely dramatizes the scars and cycles of abuse which result not only from lying but also from ignorance and cowardice. As I prepare this script for production in the fall of 2004, I find its themes timeless and as hard hitting as any contemporary work.

In Mary Tilford, Hellman has created one of the American Theatre's great villians. She serves as the literary model for "Rhoda" in THE BAD SEED as well as "Abigail" in THE CRUCIBLE. She is the embodiment of souless evil, intent on destroying all around her in order to advance her own status. She is the type of character that can truly, to quote RICHARD III, "Smile and murder whilst I smile". As my cast staged a rough read through, the hisses and rage she inspires is frightening.

Poetic without being obscure or pretentious, the dialouge is crisp and direct. Hellman's characters are three-dimensional and her pacing and story-telling is impeccable. I hope our production will do this great play justice.

As for any potential readers of this play: don't hestitate. Add this to you theatre library immediately.

I recently saw a production of this at a local high school. It is one of the most dramatic, engaging, and infuriating plays I have ever seen. If you cant stand to watch supreme injustice, this play is not for you. The accuser of Wright and Dobie has to be the one of the most despichable characters ever devised. all of the characters, from Wright and Dobie down to the Delivery Boy, are engaging and realistic. this is a play that shows perfectly the serious harm that can be caused by "little white lies", and how prejudice effects everyone, even if they arent a member of the victim group. An enlightening, depressing, beautiful play.

i attend a high school for performing arts where i am a theatre arts major and the confession scene from act III was assigned to myself and a partner to perform for the acting class to be directed and coached by the teacher. all that i can say is that the work that i've done digging into this play and my character (Karen) has been more fufilling than i would've ever imagined. if you are considering reading, studying, or acting this play be warned that it is not for the faint of heart, however, also know i have found it to be some of the most cathartic work i have ever done, in the performing sense. this is a timeless play that will move you if you take the time to appreciate all that it is.

This play is exceptional and since I was buying the movie also; they went together like two peas in a pod. They were both a Christmas gift for my daughter. She was very pleased.

"The Children's Hour" is an excellent play and very poignantly demonstrates how one simple little lie can escalate into something much more severe. I highly recommend this play to any production company which is seeking to put on a play with timeless themes that will captivate the audience. From the second you meet the characters, you identify with them, either personally or because you have meet people like these characters in your own life. The play echoes the real-life scenario of how things spiral out of control, and how sometimes we are too late to fix the damage that has been done. All in all, "The Children's Hour," though not appropriate for younger audiences, is an excellent example of the quintessential themes of theatrical drama.

Lillian Hellman's play is as good as new.

Treating subjects as old as time, if read or perfomed smartly, it can be a huge success.

Better than the film versions, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in issues like lies, treason and power. Specially power: the part that gives it all the sense.

Lesbianism isn't a principal factor of the play, so I wouldn't define it as the important part of it all.

A great read, a great play.

Lillian Hellman's "The Children's Hour" is wonderful play. The big lie and the resulting drama that unfolds is dynamic and captivating.

I strongly recommend this play. It's a powerful piece and especially great for women to use as cuttings for auditions.

The Children's Hour single handedly made me a Lillian Hellman fan. The story is of two women who run a boarding school for girls in the 1930s. When a rumor is spread that the headmistresses are having a lesbian affair, the school changes from being their dream to their nightmare. While the rumor is a lie, Hellman explores the impact of a lie and the ripples that it causes. No one is left unscathed in this beautifully written play. Friendships and relationships are tested when both women go to court to defend their honor. However, Hellman saves the worst for last.

This play is nothing short of brilliance. The dialog is realistic, insightful, and telling. The characters are beautifully developed and intriguing. As the rumor spreads and their suffering begins, Hellman makes the reader feel that suffering with them. Hellman does not shy away from the tough questions of how far can a lie really go? where are our true alliances? what trials can be overcome? and at what point does one succumb? These are difficult questions to ask of a modern reader let alone one from the 1930s. Hellman had great foresight in writing this play for it is still relevant over 70 years later. This is a must read for all!!