Explore this Show

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

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
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

Martha Dobie

Lead

Female

Lily Mortar

Lead

Female

Joseph Cardin

Lead

Male

Amelia Tilford

Lead

Female

Karen Wright

Lead

Female

Mary Tilford

Lead

Female

Rosalie Wells

Supporting

Female

Peggy Rogers

Supporting

Female

Agatha

Supporting

Female

Evelyn Munn

Supporting

Female

Lois Fisher

Featured

Female

Helen Burton

Featured

Female

Catherine

Featured

Female

Grocery Boy

Featured

Male

Songs

Sorry, we currently do not have content for this section.

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

All monologues are the property and copyright of their owners.. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

Sorry! We do not currently have terms for this guide.

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Quote Analysis

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Guide Written By: