Lillian Hellman’s Groundbreaking Play, The Children’s Hour, Opens at UT Oct. 13

From Oct. 13–16, The University of Tampa will stage Lillian Hellman’s groundbreaking play, The Children’s Hour. Show times are 8 p.m. on Thursday–Saturday, Oct. 13–15, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16. All performances will be in David Falk Theatre, 428 W. Kennedy Blvd.

The Children’s Hour opened on Broadway in 1934 and ran for 691 performances, making Hellman a celebrity at the age of 29. At the time, the play was banned in London and Boston, and it was boycotted by the Pulitzer Prize selection committee because of its then-daring suggestion of a lesbian relationship.

In 1952, the play was revived on Broadway, with Hellman as director, amidst the communist witch-hunts of the McCarthy era. Hellman, who herself had been blacklisted in Hollywood (forbidden employment because of her political beliefs), obliquely condemned the House Un-American Activities Committee in her revival. The pertinence of a story about the effects of lying, rumors and community paranoia was unmistakable, and The Children’s Hour was a popular success once again.

The University’s production, featuring 15 UT students under the direction of Gary Luter, professor of speech and theatre, follows Hellman’s decision to reset the play in 1950s America, a time not only of the “red scare,” but, even more relevant to the play’s theme, the “lavender scare,” the witch-hunt and mass firing of homosexuals from U.S. government agencies in the 1950s.

Tickets are $15 for the general public, $10 for non-UT students and senior citizens, and free for UT students, faculty and staff with a valid ID. Free parking is available on the UT campus.

For more information, go to www.ut.edu/speechtheatredance or contact UT’s Department of Speech, Theatre and Dance at or (813) 253-6243.