Performance Date: 4/7/2010, 7:30 pm
‘Children’s Hour’ not for children
AMANDA STEPHENSON
astephenson@medicinehatnews.com
The Medicine Hat College Players and the FUT in the Hat theatre group have come together to tackle the dramatic classic, “The Children’s Hour.” Written by Lillian Hellman in 1934, the play is based on the true story of two school teachers wrongly condemned for lesbianism in 19th century Scotland because of the lie of a spiteful student. Today, the play is recognized in theatre circles as a masterpiece, although its subject matter shocked audiences when it debuted. “She (Hellman) probably would have got the Pulitzer Prize for it, but because of the topic, some of the people on the committee didn’t want to give it to her,” says FUT in the Hat’s Karen Cunningham, director of the upcoming production. The script of “The Children’s Hour” is very dramatic, full of high emotion with very little humour. It makes for a real challenge for the actors, but Cunningham says it’s exactly the kind of thing FUT in the Hat members enjoy. “We like the stuff with the meat,” she says. “Stuff that’s got a story behind it, that’s going to make you stop and think and give the actors a real challenge to
discover who they need to be on stage.”
The partnership between the College Players and FUT in the Hat is something that started this year. College students contributed to FUT in the Hat’s reader’s theatre series over the fall and winter, and this time around, FUT in the Hat is lending a hand to the college group. Two of the 13 roles in the play will be filled by FUT in the Hat members.
“Often for me at the college, the difficulty is finding older actors to play the older roles. It’s not naturalistic to have someone who’s 17 playing somebody who’s 60,” says Charlie Wilson,drama instructor at Medicine Hat College and technical director for “The Children’s Hour.” “It’s also great to be able to combine the strengths of the two groups — I have a lot of new students who have an interest in theatre, which is fantastic, and she (Cunningham) has a lot of experienced actors who have something to give.”
“The Children’s Hour” will be performed April 7, 8, 9, and 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Medicine Hat
College Cultural Centre Black Box Theatre. Tickets are $15 and available through the Esplanade Box Office, www.tixx.ca, or at the door if available. Doors open at 7:15 p.m.
Due to its subject matter, the play is not recommended for children.
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