The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman

Directed by Caley Beretta

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

Auditions: Tuesday March 23^rd

The Children’s Hour takes place in the 1930s at an all girls’ boarding school. (Hence the number of *incredible* female roles!) It tells the story of two women, Karen and Martha, and how their world is turned upside down by lies, slander and gossip. A young student, Mary, maliciously manufactures a rumor that Karen and Martha, her two schoolteachers, are romantically involved. The play demonstrates the power of lies, loyalty, love, and selfishness through a cast of incredibly passionate and realistic characters (not to mention a shocker of an ending!)

click READ MORE below to see character descriptions! 

CHARACTERS

Karen (28) - Karen Wright is Martha Dobie’s close friend and co-owner of the boarding school. Bright, attractive, warm and outgoing. She is admired and respected by her students, for whom she has a genuine affection. She is also an emotionally stable woman, at ease with herself and others. Martha is drawn to her because of her strength and stability, qualities that Martha admires because she cannot find them in herself. Engaged to Joe. She and Joe both try to convince Martha that nothing will change when they are married, but Martha is too insecure to accept their reassurance. Although Karen is a sensitive and caring person, she never detects any sexual desire in Martha’s love for her. She has no such feelings herself, repressed or otherwise, thus she cannot fathom the complexity of Martha’s jealousy. She loves Martha like a sister and is devastated both by Martha’s confession and subsequent suicide. She is also emotionally crushed by the failure of the lawsuit against Amelia Tilford, which she had vigorously pursued. At the end of the play, her spirits simply sag into a kind of stoic acceptance of her fate.

Martha (late 20s) – coowner of the boarding school and Karen Wright’s best friend. She is described as nervous and high strung; She is far less composed and self assured as Karen. She greatly depends on Karen’s emotional stability and good sense to provide her with the confidence needed to run their school. She is jealous of Dr.Cardin, who is Karen’s fiancé. While on the surface she seems pleased that they are planning to marry, she does not really support them. Her inner fears of an inevitable estrangement from Karen leads to a growing tension. Once Mary’s lies are spread, Martha must confront the possibility that her jealousy springs from a suppressed sexual longing for her friend.  She has a strong sense of responsibility for Karen’s breakup with Joe. After confessing her love for Karen, she takes her own life.  See Karen’s description as well.

Mary (11-13) – Cunning, sly, mischievous, but above all selfish; a student at the boarding school. She is an attention seeker around adults and an absolute menace. She is the girl you steered clear of in middle school. She is the leader of the pack, and Evelyn & Peggy succumb to her every desire and plan.  Though her actions are cruel, and incite almost every conflict in the play, her ingenious planning and wit can’t be ignored. She always gets what she wants.

Rosalie (11-13) – Not nearly as confident as Mary, but tries to stand her ground around Mary at first. Sweet, caring. A good student who always listens to the rules and respects her elders. Gullible, in the sense that what Mary tells her, she believes. Rosalie borrows Helen Burton’s bracelet before the play begins, which is the event that Mary uses to blackmail her. Mary blackmails Rosalie – making her lie and say the two women teachers are lesbians. Remember, to us, the stealing of the bracelet seems like nothing, but to Rosalie, the world could crumble if Mary tells on her. Her stakes are very high.

Dr. Joe Cardin, about thirty-five, is a relaxed and amiable doctor and Karen Wright’s fiance. Warm, easy-going nature. Gracious, humorous and seems ideally suited to Karen. Like her, he recognizes that his cousin, Mary Tilford, is a spoiled but troubled child. Although Dr. Joe stands by Karen and Martha during the slander trial, he, too, finally falls victim to Mary’s vindictive lies. After the trial, he is troubled by niggling doubts about the relationship of Karen and Martha. Although he sells his practice and makes plans to marry Karen and take her and Martha to Europe, his uncertainty finally causes him to accept Karen’s suggestion that they break off their engagement.

Mrs.Tilford (60s) – wealthy widow – very dignified. Influential supporter of the boarding school. Grandmother of Mary. Fair and generous person, she lacks good judgment when it comes to matters concerning her granddaughter. While she recognizes that Mary is spoiled and manipulative, she dotes on the child and is blind to the girl’s vicious nature. She is a key player in the tragic direction of the play. She initially resists believing Mary’s lies, she finally is convinced the girl is telling the truth and spreads the rumors even further. Indignant and self-righteous. Mrs.Tilford tries to have the school closed. At the end of the play, she discovers the truth. She tries to undo the damage and atone for her actions but her efforts come too late – Martha is already dead.

Agatha (30s) – The Tilford’s house keeper. A hard worker who does her job well. Close with Mrs.Tilford – has definitely worked with them for a lon time. Doesn’t put up with Mary’s crap. Sees right through her and knows she has many tricks up her sleeve. She can tell that Mary is crying wolf about being sick. Agatha is a strong woman despite her lower status/occupation.

Mortar – 45. Martha’s aunt. Teaches at the boarding school. She is basically the host of a free period for all of the students as she doesn’t do much teaching. As we see in the opening scene, Mortar’s class consists of one girl being forced to read aloud Shakespeare, two studying for another class quietly in the back, and one girl cutting another’s hair. Mortar is a washed up actress- way past her prime. She refuses to grow old gracefully. She is vain and susceptible to flattery – an easy patsy for a conniving student like Mary. Self-centered. She lives in the past and wishes she were famous. She can’t keep the attention of the girls. She has a twisted relationship with Martha, her niece,; they do not exactly get along well. If she wasn’t family, Martha and Karen probably would have fired her long ago.

Peggy (11-13) – a student. Peggy is first encountered in the opening scene, in which, under Mrs.Mortar’s tutelage, she tries to read Shakespeare. Unimaginative, she shows little interest in Shakespeare. She is a victim of Mary’s intimidation, just as Evelyn Munn is. She lets Mary control her and is forced to do many things she otherwise wouldn’t.. See Evelyn for more.

Evelyn (11-13) - One of the students; Evelyn is first encountered in the opening scene, in which she mangles Rosalie’s hair with a pair of scissors. Evelyn, who lisps, is relatively quiet and timid. With Peggy Rogers, she overhears the conversation between Martha Dobie and Lily Mortar; the overheard conversation becomes the keystone in the malicious arch of lies that Mary Tilford constructs. Like Peggy, Evelyn is a victim of Mary’s intimidation, which, at the end of the first act, turns to physical abuse. When Mary attempts to extort money from Peggy, Evelyn tries to interfere and is slapped in the face for her efforts. She is one of the first children withdrawn from the school after Mrs. Tilford spreads Mary’s slanderous accusations. Is only considered bad by association with Mary.

Other roles not being called back for:

Lois – One of Karen and Martha’s students; receives Latin tutoring from Catherine in the play’s first scene; maybe not as smart as the other girls in that she spends the whole first scene unable to memorize/pronounce any of the Latin. See Catherine.
Catherine – one of the students. She attempts to help Lois prepare for a latin test. Very smart girl, who doesn’t understand how Lois can’t comprehend/pronounce the Latin.The Latin test contributes to the chaotic lack of discipline in Mortar’s classroom. See Lois.
Helen – one of the students; it is her bracelet that classmate Rosalie “borrows”; this act allows Mary to blackmail Rosalie later on in the show.
Grocery Boy