Rumors, lies, and gossip all play a part in the profound, revealing story that is the Children’s Hour.
Written by the late Lillian Hellman in 1934, the show is set to premiere on April 3-5 and times ranging from 2 pm to 7 pm. A seemingly innocent schoolhouse provides the setting for one of Langley theatre’s most intense plays. All is well at Martha Dobie (played by Kathleen Welch) and Karen Wright’s (played by Madeline Chalk) boarding school until Mary Tilford (played by Lily Brock) appears on the scene. Always malicious and scheming, when Mary Tilford gets punished and sent home, she starts a rumor that Karen and Martha are having a lesbian affair. Consequently, she puts their livelihood and lives at stake as the rumor begins to spread and more and more students drop out of the boarding school. Caught up in a whirlwind of lies and scandal, Karen and Martha do what they can to save their school and reputations.
The theater department’s reputation here at Langley is nothing short of stellar; their shows are skilled, precise, and show the amount of dedication put into every performance.
“A normal practice would be from 3 -7 p.m. or so, and then the week before the show it can go as late at 10 p.m.” Said Hanna Hunt, the vice president of the Theatre Honor Society. “(The) teacher always decides which show to pick…when working on a show, we rehearse just like a sports team would, but usually even later hours.”
Participants of Langley drama agree; participating in the high quality plays performed by the theatre department is worth the long hours of toil and practice.
Hannah Hunt said, “when people come see us, we feel a sense of accomplishment just like a sports team would if people supported them at the playoffs. It’s appealing to an audience because they can relate to the struggles the main characters go through; everyone will be faced with a challenge but it matters how they deal with it and what solution they find.”
“We work hard to create an amazing performance,” Hunt added, “I encourage people to come to the shows.”