The Children’s Hour
My thoughts on The Children’s Hour or…be glad you’re a childless catperson
“It’s funny. It’s all mixed up. There’s something in you and you don’t do anything about it because you don’t know it’s there. Suddenly a little girl gets bored and tells a lie and there, that night, you see it for the first time, and yourself, did she see it, did she sense it?
Martha Dobie in The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman 1934
The above quote gets right to the heart of the plot of The Children’s Hour. A sociopathic and spoiled girl ruins the lives of several people when she lies to her wealthy grandmother about the women who run the boarding school she attends in a small New England town. She says that they are homosexual, and this sets off a tragic chain of events due to the homophobic, intolerant society of the 1930’s. It also causes characters to face the reality of who they really are.
For a play that was written going on a hundred years ago, The Children’s Hour retains much appeal for 21st century audiences and this production helmed by Lindsey Humphries delivers some intense dramatic moments especially in Acts II and III.
The opening night performance got off to a rocky start. The first scene was muddled and troubled with inaudible dialogue and missed lines that were probably brought on by opening night jitters and the fact that the performance was delayed for fifteen minutes due to traffic problems. However, things improved later in the act as the plot became clear and I was drawn into the story.
Humphries has populated her production with capable and exciting actors who make the play engrossing. In the central roles of Martha Dobie and Karen Wright, Devon Rose and Katie Macune give their characters a quiet dignity, especially in their scenes alone together. The affection the characters have for each other is evident, but there is no hint of a sexual attraction until Martha’s revelation late in Act III. Although the women are quiet and proper in the 1930’s manner, they are not pushovers and do not hesitate to stand up for themselves when confronted with untrue accusations. Rose’s and Macune’s wonderfully nuanced and poignant performances lingered with me long after I left the theater.
As Dr. Joseph Cardin, Karen’s fiancé and cousin of Mary, John Marshall brings sincerity and credence to the role of the kindly town doctor. Marshall a recent UTA grad with a BFA in Performance, is entirely credible playing the role of a considerably older character.
Young Millicent Manning is sensational as the lying, manipulative Mary. She’s histrionic in the truest sense of the word. Throwing tantrums, faking fainting and heart pain, Manning’s Mary is a master at getting her way. She’s a diabolical child who leaves devastated lives in her wake.
Mary’s grandmother, Amelia Tilford, is portrayed by Nancy Lamb. Lamb is excellent as the privileged, proud, affluent Amelia. Amelia is completely snowed by her devious granddaughter whose lies lead her to make the accusations against Martha and Karen. Lamb’s best scene is in Act III when she admits her mistake and is repentant before Karen. She admits,“I’m too old to recover, too narrow to forgive myself.”
Jane Talbert is Martha’s aunt Lily Mortar, a vain, aging actress, who teaches at the school. Talbert, looking every bit the dowdy thespian in Michael Robinson’s most colorful costumes, and doddering around Dave Tenney’s school study room/living room set with cane in hand, is tragically comical and effective as the selfish, irritating woman.
Isabelle Culpepper shines in the small role of Agatha, Amelia Tilford’s no nonsense maid. Unlike her employer, Agatha is on to Mary’s deceptive behaviors and lets her know it. Agatha is perceptive and sensible but largely unheard.
Among the young women who are students at the school, Kira Trees is outstanding in the complex role of Rosalie Wells. Rosalie is blackmailed into lying by Mary who threatens to expose her for stealing. Trees captures all of the angst of the character trapped by Mary.
The other talented young people in the cast are Riley Connors as Peggy Rogers, Sloane Seagler as Evelyn Munn, Lennon Duncan as Lois Fisher, Catherine Journagan as Helen Burton, Emery Dunham as Catherine, and Winter Duncan as Janet.
The sound is by Michael Cannon and the lighting by Mia Lindemann, whose design for the last moment of the play is stunning.
In Act I, the character of Lily Mortar laments that “There’s no audience for serious dramas anymore.” I beg to differ. When a serious drama is as well directed and acted as MainStage’s The Children’s Hour, we will be there.
