The Children's Hour
at Falls Church High School

Reviewed on May 6, 2016

Helen Maddie Hong
Bishop Ireton High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

If you were to see Falls Church High School's recent production of The Children's Hour, before even entering the auditorium you would be welcomed by powerful signs, reminding you simply: YOU ARE LOVED. Without prior knowledge of the groundbreaking 1934 play, you may be confused by the school's promotional decision.

However, in two hours, the reason would become clear. In an emotional three acts, the cast and crew of Falls Church High School's The Children's Hour tackle the issues of prejudice, gossip, and yearning, reminding the audience just how important the message "you are loved" truly is.

Karen Wright and Martha Dobie, are two boarding school headmistresses whose peaceful lives are ruined by a single lie from their most troublesome and manipulative student Mary Tilford. The lie in question, that Ms. Wright and Ms. Dobie are secretly homosexual lovers, sparks controversy in the small town, threatening the women's careers, Wright's engagement, and Dobie's own sanity.

While Trisha Nguyen as Martha Dobie delighted the audience in the first half with her hilariously dry wit, she and her co-lead Maddie Rumingan as Karen Wright carried the drama in the darker second half with full force. Karen's unraveling relationship with her fiancé Joe, played by Josh Spiegelblatt, drew powerful emotional performances from both actors. Nguyen faced the challenge of switching from Martha's strong wit to fragile composure as she begins to question her identity and friendship. With just the right blend of emotion and subtly, Nguyen executed the character's volatile mental state beautifully, eliciting many tears by the play's end.

Other cast members also gave memorable performances. Jennifer Vu was legitimately terrifying as the young, two-faced menace Mary Tilford. Julia Sands and Grace Molinaro as well believably portrayed their respective roles as the doting grandmother Mrs. Tilford and Mary's innocent classmate Rosalie Wells. While the some of the performance suffered from issues with diction and delivery, by the climax of the play, these issues did not detract from the seriousness of the drama.

The set for The Children's Hour was designed simply but effectively. Walls were adorned with indicators such as a chalkboard or a fireplace, hallways and backings were placed to imply the vastness of the house, while a gray and white brushed paint-job bounced off light harmoniously. Light was used to indicate time of day, while also employing subtle changes in color to portray the tonal shift within the play.

Most of tech went off without a hitch, although a few cues were missed here and there. Sound became much more impressive in the last act, as chilling sound effects such as rainfall echoed the tense situation on stage. Make-up as well was used to help immerse the audience in the realistic portrayal of the characters. Interestingly, the performance was split into three acts in order to allow for intricate scene changes such as a changing window and a hallway that splits into a working staircase.

The Children's Hour is a play that confronts heavy topics, some with which one may not wish to be confronted in everyday life. However, Falls Church High School's production of the controversial play was able to immerse the audience into its world, leaving the message "you are loved" stamped on their hearts.

Lydia Gompper
George Mason High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

There is no weapon more deadly than a vicious lie, cutting deep into a previously untarnished reputation. In Falls Church High School's production of "The Children's Hour," these cruel weapons flew from a child's lips to the ears of an entire town, leaving an appalling destruction in its wake.

"The Children's Hour," penned by Lillian Hellman, began its original two-year run on Broadway in 1934, garnering such critical acclaim and success that New York State authorities chose not to enforce a law forbidding any mention of homosexuality on stage. The story, set in an all-girls boarding school, follows the school's two headmistresses, Karen Wright and Martha Dobie, as they are accused of being romantically involved with each other by a disturbed, violent young student, Mary Tilford. Dealing with such themes as the importance of truth and the insidiousness of self-hatred, the show takes a dark look at the ruin that can be made of a person's life with something as simple as words.

Falls Church High School has created a commendable production of this heavy piece, dealing well with the show's many physically and emotionally intense scenes. The performers allowed their intensity to swell wonderfully as the plot made its way toward its heart-stopping climax.

The production found two notable highlights in its dual female leads, Trisha Nguyen and Maddie Rumingan in the roles of Martha and Karen, respectively. Nguyen greatly impressed with the lovely natural quality of her acting, handling herself easily onstage. Her character development, however, was what most stood out - she maneuvered the deeply emotional elements of her role beautifully, wowing the audience in her final scene, in which her character, horrified and disgusted with herself, admits to truly being in love with Karen. Karen herself, meanwhile, was portrayed with excellent strength by Maddie Rumingan, whose final confrontation with her character's husband Joseph (Josh Spiegelblatt) was executed with powerfully emotional honesty and desperation.

Other onstage standouts included freshman Grace Molinaro as Rosalie Wells, a young student who is blackmailed by Mary Tilford (Jennifer Vu) into supporting her story about the headmistresses' relationship, and Keely Greene as Mrs. Lily Mortar, Martha's eccentric, dramatic aunt. Molinaro imbued her character with an endearingly quirky, childlike personality, with a touch of "properness" that made her immediately distinct from the sizeable ensemble of schoolgirls. She also roused the audience in her character's more emotionally substantial scenes, creating a thrilling picture of fear and anguish as she cringed away from the sinister Mary. Greene, meanwhile, succeeded in adding a bit of comic relief to this otherwise tragic production. Her straight-backed physicality and purposefully over-dramatic use of her voice created a chuckle-worthy ridiculousness.

This production of "The Children's Hour" also found success with its use of sound effects, designed by Stephanie Murphy. Not only were all effects perfectly timed and well-executed, but they often served well at adding ambiance or mood to a scene, such as with the subtle use of rain sounds during the dreary final act.

Falls Church High School has devised a thought-provoking production of "The Children's Hour," adeptly handling the deep moral and social issues that the play emphasizes. With passionately intense performances from the leading ladies, and mature management of very adult themes, this show was a definite dramatic success.

Lily Brock
Langley High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

When you have a secret--the kind you won't share in a game of truth-or-dare or giggle about at a slumber party--there is no more petrifying sound than the murmur of a distant whisper. Falls Church High School amped up the volume on the whispers in their recent production of "The Children's Hour," bringing heart to the issues of deceit, alienation, and society's uncanny penchant for dealing in whispers.

Premiering in 1934, "The Children's Hour" stands as one of Lillian Hellman's finest works. The play revolves around two young school teachers, Karen Wright and Martha Dobie, as they endeavor to keep their farmhouse boarding school afloat. Their dreams are harshly deferred when, out of pure malice and deviance, a student named Mary Tilford spreads rumors about a romantic relationship between the pair of educators and longtime friends. Often lauded for its confrontation of controversial topics at such an early year, "The Children's Hour" explores the devastating repercussions of a lie.

Trisha Nguyen as Martha Dobie demonstrated a refreshing ease in her character, breathing new life into each line with a distinct dry wit. Nguyen delved into the Dobie's complex psyche in the emotionally climactic third act, expressing genuine sorrow and shame. Her counterpart, Maddie Rumingan, lent maturity to the role of Karen Wright. With her clear tone and perpetually engaged presence, Rumingan conveyed Wright's steadfast nature. Serving as witnessed to the workings of unfettered evil, the pair easily depicted the bond between longtime friends.

Jennifer Vu played the role of Mary Tilford with the petulant malice of a spoiled schoolgirl. In her portrayal of Ms. Lily Mortar, Keely Greene carried herself with the hollow ostentatious air of a long-forgotten star of the stage. Greene's Mortar was consistently enveloped in her own narcissism, eventually finding new depth in the play's final scene. The role of Amelia Tilford was aptly filled by Julia Sands. Sands also fleshed out her character throughout the acts, building to a peak in her desperate attempt for atonement. As Rosalie Wells, Grace Molinaro brought genuine terror to her interactions with Mary, evoking sympathy from the audience as she wept and capitulated to Mary time and time again.

The schoolgirls ensemble packed character into each recitation of Latin, murmur of gossip, and lightly veiled snub. Clad in checkered uniforms and bobby socks, the group established the school environment as one cloistered and comfortable, yet simmering with preadolescent dissension. Erika Corcoran and Kelly Tran were two particular standouts in their portrayals of Evelyn Munn and Peggy Rogers.

The cozy confines of the schoolhouse set conveyed the period and atmosphere nicely, employing a flickering fireplace and empty feel as the school teachers' lives spiraled into a kind of dull, unceasing despair. School bells and the light pitter-patter of rainfall added nicely to many scenes, contributing a subtle ambience to the farmhouse school.

Coupling a solid cast with period-fitting technical aspects, Falls Church High School turned out a fine production.

Hannah Harmison
Chantilly High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - Fairfax

Lies ruin lives in Falls Church High School's production of The Children's Hour.

The play The Children's Hour was written in 1934 by Lillian Hellman, and in 1961 it was adapted into a film of the same name.The play illustrates the destructive power of lies and gossip, as a vicious child, Mary, tells a lie that proceeds to ruin the lives of her school's headmistresses. The social impact of this story is rather great, as this was the first time a lesbian character was ever explicitly revealed on screen or stage. This was immensely shocking to audiences in both 1934 and 1961.

One stand-out actress was Trisha Nguyen who played Martha Dobie, one of the headmistresses. Without spoiling the end, Trisha made very subtle character choices throughout the play (a hand hold here, a deep breath there, a posture change, an extra step, etc.) that lead the surprising ending to seem reasonable in retrospect. Her quick wit made us laugh in act one, and her heart-wrenching dialogue and final scene in act three had the audience on the verge of tears. The crowd gasped, she had them engrossed in her performance. She should be heartily commended for a performance very well done. Another standout performer was Grace Molinaro who played Rosalie Wells, one of the schoolgirl victims of Mary's bullying and lies. As Mary threatened her, Grace's portrayal of a terrified, hysterical little girl was spot on. Her tears, shaky voice, and reddened face all felt so real. They gave the emotional power to the scene and served to characterize Mary's terrifying nature. Grace should also be commended for her high-pitched and slightly nasal character voice, which never dropped or fell flat and was perfectly suited to the part of Rosalie.

The technical aspects of this show were a delight to observe. The sound designer Stephanie Murphy did a wonderful job, especially with some precisely timed sound effects, such as a slap and a shattering vase. Stephanie went the extra mile to record her own rainstorm sound effect, which sounded perfectly real. The publicity crew, headed by Tiffany Vu, did a variety of unique things that were thoroughly impressive. Given the subject matter of their show, (lies, bullying, and homophobia) the publicity team and the FCHS drama department partnered with Safe Place Club to help spread love and acceptance to the FCHS student body. They put up a wall of loving messages on sticky notes and provided a talk back session after the performance to talk about bullying. This is perhaps the best example of how high school theatre can bring people together. A lot has changed in the world since The Children's Hour was first released, and FCHS drama department has done a phenomenal job of reconciling the homophobia of the past with the acceptance of the present while maintaining the artistic integrity of the play.

Watching this performance at Falls Church High School makes one want to go home and watch the 1961 film, just to see the story again. A painful tale of lies, bullying, and the closed-mindedness of a bygone era serve to remind us how far we've come in accepting and loving those around us, as well as how far we still have to go to ensure that bullying and gossip do not allow anyone else to meet the same fate as Martha.

Olivia Hunt
Langley High School
Submitted for publication to Falls Church News Press

What if a single lie caused your life to unravel before your very eyes? Tackling injustice, dishonesty, and homophobia, Falls Church High School takes on an unimaginable situation with its production of "The Children's Hour," delivering raw emotion and intensity.

Set in an all-girls boarding school during the 1930s, the show revolves around its two headmistresses, Martha Dobie and Karen Wright. Right as the women have gained a significant amount of respect and prestige for their school, a vindictive student, Mary Tilford, ruins their reputations and lives with an insidious lie, accusing the two of having a lesbian affair. This dark and widely controversial play was written in 1934 by Lillian Hellman, and made its Broadway debut the same year.

Both Trish Nguyen (Martha Dobie) and Maddie Rumingan (Karen Wright) carried the show as their timely line deliveries and physicality complimented each other, and became especially prominent in the third act with a crescendo of tensions. Although her role was smaller, Grace Molinaro provided considerable attitude and flair to the character of Rosalie, one of many students mean-girl Mary Tilford (Jennifer Vu) manipulates. Her quirky and child-like actions aided her character's believability overall, and her realistic crying was the cherry on top. Another bright spot was the pompous Lily Mortar (Keely Greene), whose shifts in tone made her character's lines even more patronizing. She was extremely memorable in her narcissism, particularly when mourning the death of her niece, as she was still somehow able to make such a tragic situation about herself.

Because the scenes in this show are written to flow into the next, and are only confined within each act, it was an impressive feat of the cast to transition so seamlessly and with so few breaks. The lighting throughout the show was flawless, and quick blackouts effectively reflected tense moments, realizations, and plot twists. Also notable were the student-directed sound effects, including a soft pitter-patter of rain, school bells, and gunshot. The most striking technical aspect by far, however, was the set, which boasted a large staircase behind a doorway, illuminated by a light switch actors flicked on and off while onstage.

The cast of "The Children's Hour" was noteworthy in their dedication to their roles and preserving an ambiance of tension, leaving the audience sufficiently afraid of liars and little girls in plaid skirts.

Audrey Brown
Wakefield School
Submitted for publication to Connection

The stage of Falls Church High School opened with the quiet chatter of birds and the pleasant visual of a group of young girls dutifully studying Latin and all of the things that a "natural" girl should know. Little did the audience know that this seemingly serene, peaceful scene would soon be destroyed by the sharp lies of a bitter, ruthless girl and her grandmother. And thus The Children's Hour, put on by the cast of Falls Church High School, began.

The original production of this play was first performed in 1934 on Broadway, running for more than two years. At the time of its opening, The Children's Hour was revolutionary: the play, written by Lillian Hellman, was one of the first to embrace the topic of lesbian relationships, though it never actually mentioned the term itself. In the play, Mary Tilford, a brash, cold-hearted young student wanting nothing more than to live at home with her grandmother, tells her grandmother the falsity that her two headmistresses are having a sexual affair, causing a commotion among parents and their children who attend the school. The cast of Falls Church was able to satisfactorily convey these themes and the other heavy issues that the play covers.

One member of this cast who deserves a specific mention was Trisha Nguyen as Martha Dobie, one of two headmistresses at a Scottish all-girls boarding school accused of having lesbian relations with her best friend. Nguyen was one character who did a particularly good job at fully embracing the person she was portraying, therefore being able to easily convey strong emotions and dramatic changes in character. An audience favorite of the entire show was the scene in which Nguyen gave a long, emotional monologue, eventually completely breaking down and committing suicide. Though not a particularly entertaining situation to watch by societal standards, Nguyen was able to put forth such emotion that it was impossible to look away.

Other strong characters in The Children's Hour were Keely Greene as Mrs. Lily Mortar, Martha Dobie's arrogant actress aunt, who brought much-needed comedy to such a heavy play; Grace Molinaro as Rosalie, Mary Tilford's loathed classmate, whose emotions were well-portrayed and balanced Jennifer Vu's performance as Mary; and Maddie Rumingan as Karen Wright, Martha Dobie's longtime friend and co-headmistress, who brought energy and interest to the play, especially through scenes in which Rumingan was one of only a few people onstage. However, although these characters and others were intriguing to watch onstage, many of the actors spoke with slightly too much diction and enunciation, distracting from what would have been an otherwise intense or emotional scene.

Both the lighting and sound departments performed well.The lighting shifted after each act, perfectly capturing the essence of the emotions that the actors were experiencing: from early-morning, optimistic pale blue to gray-tinted, depressed hues, the very color of the lights seemed to reflect the strong feelings that were represented in the play.

Falls Church High School and its cast and crew of The Children's Hour worked to create an enjoyable piece of art out of a play with such heavy overlying emotions. The audience became connected to the characters, its collective heart wrenching in every direction as the characters onstage brought their own feelings to life. All departments of the theater did a commendable job in creating such a play.

Emma Theis
Bishop Ireton High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

"Lies can Destroy Lives." This painfully accurate statement is made evident in Falls Church High School's production of The Children's Hour.

This intense drama was written by Lillian Hellman in 1934. It chronicles the effects of a spoiled little girl named Mary who goes to manic extremes to get what she wants. In her attempts to get her grandmother to allow her to stay home from school, she fabricates a lie that the two headmistresses are having an affair with each other. This lie leaves the headmistresses' careers, relationships, and lives in disarray.

The production included a versatile set coupled with a myriad of mood setting sounds and lighting. The female heavy ensemble took on complex and often troubled characters admirably.

Martha (Trisha Nguyen), in particular, portrayed substantial character development, from cracking dry witty jokes in Act I to painfully breaking down into complete desolation in Act III. Karen (Maddie Ruingan) provided a bit softer, more nurturing counterpart to her co-headmistress, showing great vulnerability and sincerity in her parting scene with Joe (Josh Spiegelblatt).

Mrs. Amelia Tilford (Julia Sands) stood out for her reasonable and realistic interpretation of her role. Some characters went over the top with their portrayals which came across unintentionally a bit comical, but Mrs. Tilford remained genuine throughout even down to her limped walk.

Mrs. Tilford's makeup also enhance the reality of the elderly character. The student designed set included a white building frame that was able to be converted from the school setting, to the Tilford's home, to the headmistresses' home efficiently. The employment of student recorded sound effects such as birds chirping, rain, and a gunshot solidified the mood of the scene throughout the play.

Consisting of three acts of intense content, The Children's Hour is no walk in the park, but Falls Church High School took on this challenging piece with vigor.