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Six Plays by Lillian Hellman

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At present, it seems the Lillian Hellman's life has eclipsed her career as a playwright. Her tumultuous affair with mystery writer Dashiell Hammett and her refusal to testify before the House Un-American Affairs Committee are widely-known. Her memoir of a humanitiarian errard during World War II (filmed as the movie "Julia") spawned a great debate on the trustworthiness of her memory.

Yet we hear much less about her plays, six of which are collected in this volume. Perhaps the best known are "The Little Foxes" (in which Tallulah Bankhead starred on Broadway, with Bette Davis taking over the lead in the 1941 movie) and "The Children's Hour" (made into a 1961 film starring Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine). "The Little Foxes" and its prequel "Another Part of the Forest" trace the financial intrigues and infighting of an Alabama family at the turn of the century. Their struggles reflect the social issues facing the post-bellum South; more importantly their scheming and bask-stabbing are great fun. "The Children's Hour" shocked audiences with its frank portrayal (for 1934) of allegations of lesbianism in a girls' boarding school. (In fact, the 1936 film of the play, "These Three" substituted a heterosexual scandal.) Yet Hellman's depiction of the effects of gossip (and what we would today term "homosexual panic') still has the ring of authenticity.

A new discovery for me was the play "Watch on the Rhine," first produced in 1941. The standard description of this play as a portrayal of the effects of fascism on an American family, though true enough, may give a false impression. It's not a preachy play, but almost a comedy of manners, pitting some quaint Europeans against a "normal" American family. Hellman's craft as a playwright is evident in the ways that comedy is broken up against the realities of the current political situation. "Days to Come" also shows the effect of a political crisis (in this case, a labor strike) on a well-to-do family; this play is perhaps less successful as a political work and more successful as a portrayal of a community in crisis and the dangers that come when outsiders are brought in to settle affairs.

I was charmingly surprised by "The Autumn Garden," a 1951 play set at Gulf Coast boarding house. As summer turns to autumn and the guests depart, characters are brought face to face with the illusions of the past and forced to see things as they are.

Though we cannot and should not forget the strong force of Hellman's personality, we perhaps owe her work a reconsideration. While her plays do not stand up as well as those of Tennessee Williams or Arthur Miller, they are "well-made plays" that can still offer insight and enjoyment.

It's unclear to me how such wonderful plays could have escaped my reading for this long.

A casual conversation led me to get this book in order to read the emotionally jarring "The Children's Hour." But that ended up only being the icing on the cake. Every one of the plays in this book display Hellman's mastery of dramatic form, story development, and the anti-climax.

She is direct and yet somehow understated. It's a wonder to me that her name is not mentioned more often in the context it deserves, as a great American playwright. I believe those who see her in the shadow of other playwrights should rethink their comparisons. Hellman stands on her own and deserves careful consideration. In any event, I think everone should read these plays and decide for themselves.

Of particular interest to me is the play "Days to Come." On the surface it tells the story of a small town dealing with the pressures of Organized Labor and Organized Crime. But there is a subtext of human turmoil that is executed expertly. The second act is particularly sharp, with great dialogue that challenges you to read between the lines. While the complexity and number of character might make this a tough production for a small independant playhouse, there is much in her writing to be admired.

I'm glad I took the opportunity to read what I believe to be gems in the rough. I hope more people will do the same.

The Little Foxes is clearly Hellman's masterpiece (though the other 5 plays that appear in this collection are fine). She wrote The Little Foxes in 1939 at the tail end of the depression. The play is set in the deep south in the spring of 1900. The action centers around the three Hubbard siblings, (Ben, Oscar & Regina), who are wealthy capitalists that are trying to bring a cotton mill to their town with the help of a Chicago entrepreneur (Marshall). Birdie is Oscar's wife, and she objects to the Hubbard's lifestyle (shooting animals for sport when blacks are starving, overcharging poor people to turn a huge profit) and their cruelty (she doesn't even like her son, who is also callous and cruel). The Hubbard's need money from Regina's husband, Horace, who is as principled as Birdie but also a lot more powerful and strong willed.
The Hubbard's are so greedy and rapacious that they turn on each other at times, trying to cut into each other's percentage of the deal. They also discuss how keep the lower class from uniting by catering to and playing up racism. It's a devastating critique of capitalism.

From Act II

Ben: Cheap? You'd think the Governor of a great state would make his price a little higher. From pride, know (Horace smiles. Ben smiles). Cheap wages. "What do you mean by cheap wages" I say to Marshall. "Less than Massachusetts," he says to me, "and that averages eight dollars a week," "Eight a week! By God," I tell him, "I'd work for eight dollars a week myself." Why, there ain't a mountain white or a town (black) but wouldn't give his right arm for three silver dollars a week, eh, Horace?
Horace: Sure. And they'll take less than that when you get around to paying them off against each other. You can save a little money that way, Ben. (Angrily) And make them hate each other just a little more than they do now.

Later in Act II

Horace: I'm sick of your brothers and their dirty tricks to make a dime. There must be better ways of getting rich than cheating (blacks) on a pound of bacon. Why should I give you the money? (Very angrily) To pound the bones of this town to make dividends for you to spend? You wreck the town, you and your brother, you wreck the town and live on it.

Act III

Addie: Well, there are people who eat the earth and eat all the people on it like in the Bible with the locusts. Then there are people who stand around and watch them eat it. (Softly) Sometimes, I think it ain't right to stand watch them do it.

End of Act III

Ben: The century's turning, the world is open. Open for people like you and me. Ready for us, waiting for us. After all, this is just the beginning. There are hundreds of Hubbards sitting in rooms like this throughout the country. And their names aren't Hubbard, but they are all Hubbards and they will own this country some day. We'll get along.

Hellman was called a communist and a socialist, and she was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. The Hubbard's anticipated families like the Walton's (owners of Wal-Mart) and executives like Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling (Enron).

I orginally bought this just to read "The Children's Hour"; however, I truly enjoyed reading all six plays. Hellman is able to pull the reader into the scene and even if the reader is not seeing a live performance he or she is able FEEL the energy.

"The Children's Hour" was quite shocking when it was first written. It takes place in a small boarding school run by two women. One of the students claims the teachers are lesbians and the town is immediately up in arms.

"Days to Come" revolves around a small community in which all the factory employees have gone on strick. The people bring in an union organizer and the owner brings in his men to cross the picket line and to settle the strike.

"The Little Foxes" and "Another Part of the Forest" are two plays that focus on a wealthy Southern family. Together they show how money can tear a family apart.

"Watch on the Rhine" involves an American family that takes in European refugees. However, with the rise of fascism and capture of one of its leaders, the family and refugees have to struggle with its effects.

Strong collection of plays all seem to contain heavy verbal exchanges, where truth,. lies and anger all converge to form a major epiphany, like the best drama always does. Memorable characters, sad and bitter both, in each piece. The Autumn Garden is the longest and probably the most playful, 4 others: the truest examples of Hellman's cutting, near brutal dialogue, Watch on the Rhine, the most emotional... Her works should be revived more often. They still pack a solid punch generations later.