Pacing in 'Children's Hour' takes precedence over acting

"The Children's Hour," a dramatic play by Lillian Hellman, was originally performed on Broadway in 1934. Now, 75 years later, it finds new life in Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Theatre and Dance. Directed by Rob Dillon and cast with relative newcomers to the department, "The Children's Hour" proves to be a perfect showcase for the program's depth of talent.

"The Children's Hour" was Hellman's first play produced on Broadway. It's a tense drama set in an all-girls boarding school run by two single women, Karen Wright, played by Suzanne Burke, and Martha Dobie, played by Lindsey Prawitz. When the young and troublesome student Mary Tilford, played by Chelsea-Jane Carroll, runs away from the school and implies to her aunt that Karen and Martha are having a lesbian affair, the women's careers and lives are put at risk.

Hellman's 1934 script is in many ways a classic modern American play. It's language is precise standard English, and its two sets -- beautifully designed by Rhonda Weller-Stilson -- are simple and economical. The play's creation and ultimate meaning is not so much about the physical action on stage, but about the subtext and the inner emotions of the characters. Outside of the scandalous plot, the play is the ultimate definition of a midcentury American theatrical drama.

Speaking of the scandalous plot -- possible lesbians running an all-girls boarding school in the Northeast -- it must have been quite shocking in 1934. The original production ran for two years in New York, giving you an idea of how subtle the text is and how the production plays it straight, so to speak. It was eventually banned in Chicago and Boston before moving to London for another long run.

For Southeast's production, both Carroll as the young Tilford and Burke as the teacher Wright carry the show through the evening. Carroll, who is just a freshman at the university, deftly plays the back and forth of a troubled child and evil manipulator. She has an easy presence on stage and will more than likely find future success. While Burke was playing someone older than herself, her self-assured portrayal of Wright seemed to be a settling factor on the rest of the cast.

For the general performance of the show, Dillon goes a little too far with his stage blocking and not far enough in the emotional subtext. As for blocking, many times he chose to utilize the entire stage for conversations. It too often seemed awkward and melodramatic for the actors, and seemed to pull the audience's attention away from the story.

The play is an intense story full of deep meaning and subtext. Too many times during the performance I wondered if the actor knew the real meaning of what she had just said. Actor nerves on opening night can take a toll, but I've noticed this before in Dillon's plays. There seems to be more emphasis over pace than meaning. In Dillon's recent "Angels in America," the actors often missed grand opportunities due to the rapid fire dialogue, and it is here again in "The Children's Hour." An actor or two not listening or stepping on another's line is one thing, but Dillon's whole shows are often like this.

It's obvious it's a choice -- a style of directing. Often, though, it comes across as the young actor getting lost on stage or looking at though they're "acting" by just reading the lines.

Steve Turner is a freelance movie and theater reviewer for the Southeast Missourian.

Want to go?

What: "The Children's Hour"

When: 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: Rust Flexible Theater