Truth, rumor and reputation take center stage in “The Children’s Hour”

Hesston College Theatre will present Lillian Hellman’s “The Children’s Hour” October 1 to 4 in the Black Box Theater in Keim Center for Performing Arts Education.

Set at a private 1930s New England boarding school for girls, “The Children’s Hour” follows Karen and Martha whose lives, careers and relationships are upended when a student, seeking to escape punishment, invents a damaging rumor about the two women. As the accusation spreads through the community, the play explores the destructive power of deception and prejudice.

Hesston College Theatre Director Rachel Jantzi first encountered the play as an undergraduate student and returned to it during graduate school. Twenty-five years later, she wants to direct it for her 50th show produced on HC theatre's stage.

“The vulnerability of its characters and the fact that it’s rooted in a true event made an impact on me,” Jantzi explains. “It provided many layers to work through as a young actor and even more so as a director. I have also enjoyed watching my students come to appreciate a piece I found moving when I was their age.”

The themes of the play continue to resonate with modern audiences, particularly its exploration of how financial power and social position can influence the lives of people without either. The production also examines how quickly sensationalism can take precedence over truth.

One of the production’s challenges has been finding the balance between the play’s tragic ending and the vibrant lives of its central characters.

“It’s a play that ends tragically, but these are not tragic women,” Jantzi shares. “They are lively, sassy, loving individuals, and I want to make sure we see all sides of these complex characters.”

The cast and crew are bringing the empathy and maturity necessary to explore the play’s difficult subject matter. Student designers are also taking on leadership roles for the production, giving HC theatre students an opportunity to develop their technical and creative skills.

The cast consists of students Rey Tipton of Hesston, Kan.; Chloe Robinson of Moore, Okla.; Anja Martinez of Topeka, Kan.; Madison Daigneault of Wichita, Kan.; Sebastian Pavlovich of Lindsborg, Kan.; Brody Hutto of Bel Aire, Kan.; Evelyn Gaertner of Newton, Kan.; Constance Feldt of Wichita, Kan.; Alyssa Coonce of Hutchinson, Kan.; Isabella Milla Orridge of Plano, Texas; Cindy Smith of Park City, Kan.; Desirae Burlelson of Tecumseh, Okla.; Ava Huynh of Lam Dong, Vietnam; Angel Sinnet of McPherson, Kan.; and Braysen Gray of Wichita, Kan.

The crew consists of students Cindy Smith of Park City, Kan.; Alexander Gale of Hesston, Kan.; Topher Skelton of McPherson, Kan.; Angel Sinnet of McPherson, Kan.; Braysen Gray of Wichita, Kan.; Alyssa Coonce of Hutchinson, Kan.; Constance Feldt of Wichita, Kan.; and Evelyn Gaertner of Newton, Kan. Led by Hesston College Theatre’s Technical Director and Designer, Alexis Becker, student designers are also taking on leadership roles.

The community is invited to come experience the show October 1 to 3 at 7 p.m. and October 4 at 2 p.m. in Keim Center’s Black Box Theater. Tickets are available at the door or online at hesston.edu/showtix, $10 for adults and $5 for students. Parental guidance is encouraged for minors; this show contains topics of homophobia and suicide that may be unsettling to certain audiences.