Overview
Synopsis
Set in a fictional New England town in the 1930s, The Children’s Hour tells the story of two women who are unjustly accused of homosexual activity by one of their students: one Mary Tilford. The outraged community (prompted by the influential Amelia Tilford, an upstanding member of Lancet--who also happens to be the indulgent grandmother of Mary) quickly withdraws all of their students, causing a witch hunt that ultimately forces the school to close. Not to be beaten, Martha and Karen take the accusations to court in a libel suit and lose-- despite the defense having no real foundation for a case (with the exception of the Mary’s testimony). Their lives quickly unravel as they become social pariahs. After months of trying to clear their names, Martha realizes that she did in fact have sexual feelings for Karen, and eventually the guilt and despair cause her to commit suicide. At its premiere, Hellman’s The Children’s Hour was a controversial piece that caused the author to be blacklisted from Hollywood. Today, it remains a haunting reminder of the horrors of intolerance.
Show Information
- Book
- Lillian Hellman
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1934
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Period, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- new england
- Cast Size
- medium
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Young Adult, Mature Adult, Adult, Elderly, Child, Early Teen, Late Teen Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Female |
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Lead |
Female |
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Lead |
Male |
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Lead |
Female |
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Lead |
Female |
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Lead |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Featured |
Female |
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Featured |
Female |
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Featured |
Female |
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Featured |
Male |
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Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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