Friday, March 7th, Stamford High School’s Drama Club will debut their production of The Children’s Hour written by Lillian Hellman. This play takes place in the 1930s in New England; it focuses on two friends named Martha Dobie and Karen Wright who are headmistresses of a successful all-girls boarding school. When one of their students runs away, rumors spread that the two friends are secret lovers.

According to Brianna Bellavia (who plays Peggy Rogers, a close friend of Mary), Karen will be played by The Round Table’s very own Sabrina Petrafesa (12), joined by Rebecca Rakowitz(11), who will play the role of Martha and Alex Brokowski (11), who will play the role of the trouble-making student (Mary). This play is not Stamford High’s typical production; it is aimed to encourage others to put an end to negative words and actionsand to be accepting of those from different backgrounds, religions, races, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and so on.

Children’s Hour will also be the initiation of the Live Love campaign that the drama club has been working on. The purpose of this campaign is to warn people of the affects their words and actions can have on others; the hope is that people who see the show will stop using hate speak. The head of the drama club, Ms. Nerreau, explained that there will be pledge cards at each show that audience members are encouraged to sign; anyone who signs the card will be pledging to not use hate speak. Thegoal is to get at least 500 people to take the pledge to end the use of hurtful words at Stamford High and in extension throughout the community. Along with the pledge cards, similar signs willbe hung in classrooms around Stamford High School. The playis intended to cause students and all audience members to think before speaking and to realize that their words can be just as hurtful as physical pain.