A collection of six plays by Lillian Hellman about American life
Lillian Hellman Books
June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984
Lillian Hellman was an American dramatist and screenwriter whose works often grappled with moral dilemmas and social criticism. She penned powerful female characters and explored themes of injustice, courage, and personal integrity. Her dramatic style was known for its intensity and incisive dialogue. Hellman was also recognized for her unwavering stance during political persecution, which shaped her life and career.
In this widely praised follow-up to her National Book Award-winning first volume of memoirs, An Unfinished Woman, the legendary playwright Lillian Hellman looks back at some of the people who, wittingly or unwittingly, exerted profound influence on her development as a woman and a writer. The portraits include Hellman's recollection of a lifelong friendship that began in childhood, reminiscences that formed the basis of the Academy Award-winning film Julia.
The Children's Hour (Acting Edition)
- 78 pages
- 3 hours of reading
The plot revolves around two women operating a girls' school who become victims of a malicious rumor spread by a young student. As the girl realizes the influence of her words, she remains steadfast in her false claims, leading to devastating consequences for the women. The play explores themes of power, betrayal, and the lasting impact of gossip, ultimately revealing the tragic fallout from the unfounded scandal, which leaves irreversible damage in its wake.
A serious play about two women who run a school for girls.
The The Little Foxes
- 107 pages
- 4 hours of reading
Picture a charming home in the South. Into this peaceful scene put the prosperous, despotic Hubbard family - Ben, possessive and scheming; Oscar, cruel and arrogant; Ben's dupe, Leo, weak and unprincipled; Regina wickedly clever - each trying to outwit the other. In this melodrama, only Regina wins.
Caustic, brilliant, uncompromising, accomplished, Lillian Hellman, one writer noted, can "take the tops off bottles with her teeth". Her career as a playwright began in 1938 with The Children's Hour, the first of seven plays that would bring her international attention and praise. Thirty years later, Hellman unleashed her peerless wit and candor on the subject she knew best: herself. An Unfinished Woman is a rich, surprising, emotionally charged portrait of a bygone world -- and of an independent-minded woman coming into her own. Wendy Wasserstein's introduction to this new edition provides a fascinating literary and historical context for reexamining Lillian Hellman's life and achievement.
Caustic, brilliant, uncompromising, accomplished, Lillian Hellman, one writer noted, can "take the tops off bottles with her teeth". Her career as a playwright began in 1938 with The Children's Hour, the first of seven plays that would bring her international attention and praise. Thirty years later, Hellman unleashed her peerless wit and candor on the subject she knew best: herself. An Unfinished Woman is a rich, surprising, emotionally charged portrait of a bygone world -- and of an independent-minded woman coming into her own. Wendy Wasserstein's introduction to this new edition provides a fascinating literary and historical context for reexamining Lillian Hellman's life and achievement.
The Little Foxes
- 72 pages
- 3 hours of reading
An acting edition of the 1939 drama in which brothers Oscar and Ben Hubbard steal money from their ailing brother-in-law in order to fund a cotton mill, only to be caught by their sister Regina who demands they give her a 75 percent share of the business in exchange for keeping them out of prison
Presents an account of Lillian Hellman's summons to testify before the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities in 1952.
