Creative Team

Director — Nona Lloyd
Sets — Sarah Sullivan
Costumes — Brian O'Keefe
Lights — Annmarie Duggan

Written by Lillian Hellman
Study Guide written by Gary Cadwallader

Cast of Characters

Regina Giddens - Wife of Horace Giddens, sister to Ben and Oscar.
Horace Giddens - Successful Southern banker.
Alexandra Giddens - Their daughter, 17.
Benjamin Hubbard - Southern businessman, brother to Regina and Oscar.
Oscar Hubbard - Southern businessman, brother to Regina and Benjamin.
Birdie Hubbard - Oscar's wife.
Leo Hubbard - Oscar and Birdie's son, 20.
Addie - The Giddens' housekeeper.
Cal - The Giddens' manservant.
William Marshall - Businessman from Chicago.

The Source

Playwright Lillian Hellman's inspiration for The Little Foxes was her own life. She based the play's characters on members of her mother's family, the Newhouses. The family became wealthy around the turn of the century through exploitive business enterprises in the South, just as the Hubbard family is trying to do in the play. Hellman's grandmother, Sophie Newhouse, and Sophie's aggressive brother, Jake, are represented in the characters of Regina and Ben. Hellman's mother, Julia Newhouse, appears as the gentle, helpless Birdie. Addie, the sweet and strong African-American housekeeper, is based on Hellman's own nanny from childhood, Sophronia. And Alexandra, Regina and Horace's 17-year-old daughter, was written to be a "half-mockery" of Lillian herself at the same age. Years after the play was written, Lillian Hellman said that some of her family had threatened to sue for libel after the play appeared!

The source for the title, The Little Foxes, is the Bible. It was suggested to Lillian Hellman by her best friend, writer Dorothy Parker. It can be found in the Song of Solomon 2:15: "Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes." In the play the "foxes" are the Hubbards who plan to despoil the land of the South with their life-destroying greed.

History of the play

The Little Foxes first premiered on Broadway on February 15, 1939, at the National Theatre. The star of the show was Tallulah Bankhead, who played Regina, and it was directed by Herman Shumlin, who was a very successful producer and director.

It ran for 410 performances (about one year!) which was then considered a tremendous hit. In 1941 the play was made into a movie starring Bette Davis as Regina, and in 1949 it was turned into an opera by Marc Blitzstein, entitled Regina.

Synopsis

Act I — The play opens during a dinner party where the guest of honor is William Marshall, a well-to-do businessman from Chicago. Mr. Marshall is visiting Ben and Oscar Hubbard and their sister Regina Giddens in order to discuss a scheme to open a cotton mill in the area. The cotton mill deal will make all of its owners extremely wealthy.

Mr. Marshall plans to put up $400,000, for a 49% interest in the new mill. To be partners in the business deal, Oscar, Ben, and Regina must come up with $225,000, for a 51% controlling interest in the venture. Ben and Oscar are each ready with their one-third portion of the money, $75,000, but Regina's husband, Horace, convalescing from heart trouble at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, is not. He has never once expressed interest in the business deal. Regina remains firm that she and Horace will put in their share of the necessary seed money.

Ben agrees to wait two weeks before seeking an outside third partner and tells Regina she has two weeks to get Horace home and secure the money for the deal. Regina decides the best way to get Horace home is to send their daughter, Alexandra, to Baltimore. Alexandra is instructed to tell her father he is missed and must come home immediately, even if he is too ill to travel. Preparations are made for Alexandra's departure in the morning.

Act II — The following week Alexandra and Horace have not yet returned from Baltimore. Leo, Oscar's son, accidentally admits he has opened Horace's safety deposit box at the bank and found $88,000 worth of Union Pacific Railway bonds inside. Oscar asks Leo to "borrow" the bonds and become the third partner in the mill project.

Horace and Alexandra arrive home after being delayed in Mobile overnight by Horace's illness. Regina immediately confronts Horace about putting up the money necessary to become partners with Ben and Oscar. Horace decides he does not want to be included, and, when asked why, gives no reason.

Regina, furious at Horace for his lack of participation, follows him upstairs to try to change his mind. Meanwhile, Oscar informs Ben that Leo could "borrow" the Union Pacific bonds right away, and they would not need Horace for a partner. They make plans to leave for Chicago that very night.

Act III — Horace, Alexandra and Birdie, Oscar's wife, are sitting and talking in the living room recalling pleasant memories. Birdie talks about her aristocratic upbringing and recalls the first time she met Oscar.

Horace, preparing to make a will, looks in his safe-deposit box, and discovers the bonds are missing. He sends his servant, Cal, to the bank to speak to Horace's assistant, Mr. Manders. Cal is to thank Manders for bringing the safety deposit box and ask him to come by later with an attorney. Horace then tells Addie that if he dies, she must take Alexandra away. He tells her there is an envelope in his bureau with her name on it that contains a great deal of money for her and Alexandra. She promises to do what he asks of her. Cal returns from his task, and tells Horace that Leo became upset when he learned Horace had the safety deposit box.

Horace tells Regina that Leo has stolen his Union Pacific bonds from the safety deposit box and given them to Oscar and Ben, but refuses to confront them regarding their thievery. He also informs her he plans to change his will, leaving her the missing $88,000 in Union Pacific bonds. The rest of his estate will go to Alexandra. He ties Regina's hands by informing her that if she confronts her brothers and tries to get into the business deal with them he will say he knowingly lent them the bonds.

Before Horace finalizes his plans, he has an attack and becomes ill. He tries to take his medicine but the bottle slips and breaks. He tries to call Addie to get another bottle that is upstairs, but his voice is too weak to be heard. He gets out of his wheelchair and struggles to make it upstairs on his own, but collapses on the staircase. Regina does nothing to help, and only shouts for Addie and Cal after she is sure Horace has lost consciousness. Horace is taken to his bedroom.

Leo informs Ben and Oscar that Horace has looked in the safety deposit box and must know that the bonds have been stolen. Before they decide what steps to take to proclaim their innocence, Regina confronts Oscar, Ben, and Leo regarding the stolen bonds. Regina demands a 75% interest in the mill or she will send them all to jail.

Horace passes away. Regina receives her 75% share and makes plans to move to Chicago in two weeks.

Timeline: 1900

The Little Foxes is set in the South in 1900. Here are some events that happened in that year: The President of the United States was William McKinley; The Commonwealth of Australia was created; Max Planck formulated quantum theory; American scientist, R. A. Fessenden transmited human speech via radio waves; Sigmund Freud published, "The Interpretation of Dreams"; Giacomo Puccini's opera, "Tosca," premiered in Rome, and Gustave Charpentier's opera, "Louise," premiered in Paris; The Cakewalk became the most fashionable dance.

Prominent authors included: Colette, Josph Conrad, Maxim Gorki, Theodore Dreiser, Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy and Edmond Rostand.

Eminent visual artists included: Paul Gauguin, August Renoir, John Singer Sargent, and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec.

Slang Words at the Turn of the Century

Blob - a mistake
Lunch - something that is easy
Chump - a fool
Oodles - a lot of
Crust - aggressiveness
Pumpkin - one's girlfriend
Dough - money
Roast - severe criticism
Fertilizer - nonsense
Slam - disparaging remarks
Gravy - the best
Suds - money
Invisible Blue - the police
Yap - the mouth

The Cocksure Era

The will to grow was everywhere written large, and to grow at no matter what or whose expense." (Henry James)

"It was a splendid time, a wonderful country. Most Americans felt that way as they welcomed the 20th Century, and many of them said so, with great animation and grandiose references to Peace, Prosperity and Progress.

The first decade of the new century . . . won several titles - The Age of Optimism, the Age of Confidence, the Age of Innocence. But another tag might have seemed more appropriate: the Cocksure Era. For this was a time when Americans were optimistic and self-confident to an extreme; they did not merely hope for the best, they fully expected it. Most people automatically assumed that all problems would be solved in the normal course of events; meanwhile, the important thing was for a man to get ahead, to earn maximum returns from bountiful opportunities.

There was ample reason for high hopes and general satisfaction. The housewife found the stores well stocked and prices low. The farmer was doing well after some hard times in the '90s. For the businessman, taxes were minimal and trade was brisk. Everyone was fascinated by the many useful devices coming to the fore: the telephone, the typewriter and the sewing machine, the self-binding harvester and even the automobile (fully 8,000 vehicles were registered by 1900). But to the thoughtful citizen, the surest portents of a brilliant future were the astonishing achievements of the recent American past.

In the 35 years since the Civil War, a predominantly agrarian country had vaulted from fourth place to first among the world's industrial powers. A loose collection of very different regions, permissively administered by the laissez-faire government, had been woven into a fairly homogeneous and independent unit by expanding railroad networks, lengthening newspaper chains and burgeoning techniques of mass production and nationwide marketing. And in just the past few years, the United States had fought and won an exhilarating war with Spain, emerging as a major military power with possessions and protectorates that sprawled from the Caribbean to the China Seas. The facts and figures - a veritable torrent of information on rich resources and soaring growth rates - promised that progress would continue at an accelerating speed. ("From This Fabulous Century", Maitland Edey, Editor)

The Cotton Mills

Before the Civil War, the cotton mills in the United States were mainly in New England: Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The cotton was harvested and baled in the South and sent north by ship from ports in Savannah, Charleston, and New Orleans. During the Civil War, the cotton industry was completely wiped out. Plantation owners were displaced and cotton rotted in the fields.

By 1880, cotton production was back to pre-war levels, even though the social life of the producers had undergone a major revolution.

At first it seemed that there would soon be a return to normality and the New England manufacturers began to expand as the flow of cotton was resumed. New mills were built and spinning capacity in the north went up 12 per cent between 1868 and 1870. But change was on the way as manufacturers also began to look towards the South. There had been a small element in the South before the war, but it had always proved difficult to run a factory system within the context of a slave economy. Now that obstacle was removed, and new arguments appeared in favor of mill construction in the South. First, there was the social argument. There was a major problem over providing employment for the poor whites, who could not be prevailed upon to accept farm work on any basis that would equate them with the poor blacks. Mill building was also seen as part of the whole program of Southern reconstruction, designed to integrate the Southern states into the main framework of American life.

Whether philanthropy or profit ranked highest as a motive among those who invested in Southern mills must now be a matter for speculation. But some at least of those who moved south were quite honest in describing their motives. Lockwood Greene and Co. had this to say about their decision to move south: "As compared to New England and the Northeastern part of the country, the South has the advantage of longer hours of labor, lower wage scales, lower taxes, and legislation which gives a manufacturing plant a wider latitude than is usually possible in the North in the way of running over-time and at night...the South is... fortunate in having a supply of native American labor which is still satisfied to work at a low wage." ("The Rise and Fall of King Cotton" by Anthony Burton)

Themes and Topics to Explore

Greed. The Hubbards have a desire for wealth and power. It causes them to step all over one another to gain as much money as possible. Why is greed at the root of the Hubbards' desire? How are American business dealings and transactions today the same as they were 100 years ago? How are they different? How has the quest for power and money changed the United States in a positive way? How has technology given us freedom and comfort?

Racism. It is only 35 years since the Civil War when slavery was abolished. 1) Addie and Cal are black servants to the Giddens household. How are they treated by Regina, Horace, Alexandra? By Oscar, Ben and Leo? 2) The word "nigger" is used by many of the characters in the play. How and why is it used in a derogatory way? Is it used within any other context? 2) Regina, Ben, and Oscar plan on exploiting for profit the workers they will use in their cotton mill. Assuming they build their proposed mill, and according to American history, will the Hubbards succeed in their exploitation for profit?

Arranged Marriages. Ben and Oscar think it's a good idea to have Leo, Oscar's son, marry Alexandra, Regina's daughter, in order to keep all money in the same family. How is this arranged marriage like that of European royalty and nobility throughout history? Does it still exist?

Equality of Women. Until recently, women were never thought to have excellent business skills, nor were they taken seriously in matters of commerce. Is Regina's ambition wrong for a woman at the turn of the century? How does Regina use her southern charm to her advantage? In what way is Birdie different than Regina? What power does Regina's daughter, Alexandra, achieve?

Investigations

"The Little Foxes" is a story about a family torn apart by greed. Find and clip articles about families currently in the news. Analyze the situations which made them newsworthy. Were they positive? Negative? Neutral? Write a paragraph comparing them to the family in "The Little Foxes."

Act I opens with a dinner party at which a lucrative business deal is discussed. Imagine that you have a business deal and need financial backers. Look through The News-Journal and select six influential people you could invite to dinner so you can convince them to underwrite your deal. Tell why you selected each guest.

In Act II, $88,000 worth of Union Pacific Railway bonds become very important to the play. Currently, the bond prices are not listed on an open exchange, but the stock is. Check the stock listings in The News-Journal or call Infonet to see how many shares of Union Pacific stock $88,000 would buy in today's market. Follow that stock and one other for two weeks. Compare their performance.

At the close of Act III, Regina plans to move to Chicago. Imagine that you have just come into a great deal of money and want to move to some place more exciting. Find an ad or story in The News-Journal for a city or county you would consider. Describe why that place interests you.

The "timeline" section of this study guide lists some of the events which shaped life in 1900, the time setting for the play. Select ten events from last year which might be significant to any future play set in 1997. Search back copies of The News-Journal or internet sources and make copies of three stories related to any of the events you selected.

A section of this study guide lists some slang expressions commonly used in 1900. Look through The News-Journal for examples from that list. Make a list of the current slang equivalents. Which words do you think will still be part of our language 100 years from now? Why?

The turn of the last century was a time of great industrial growth. Find a story in The News-Journal which points out a current problem associated with such growth. Consider such issues as depletion of natural resources, pollution, low skill/low pay jobs, workers' health/safety, etc. Describe how the issue might impact your life?

Especially for students...

In live theatre, unlike movies and television, the actors can hear (and often see) you as easily as you can hear and see them. If you comment out loud at a live show, or read or eat, you disturb not only other members of the audience but also the people on stage, thus diminishing the performance and, ultimately, your enjoyment of it.

This doesn't mean you have to remain silent. Actors want you to respond with laughter and applause; but such responses should always be genuine and appropriate to the moment. Such inconsiderate behavior as shouting, catcalling or sustained whispering, even during blackouts, can ruin the concentration of actors and audience members alike. And throwing paper or objects of any kind towards the stage is not only rude, it's also extremely dangerous to the performers.

In the event of any student misbehavior, the relevant school will be contacted and its principal informed.

We want you to enjoy your visit to Seaside Music Theater, and we rely on you to exercise your common sense and mature judgment. Thank you for being a valuable part of our audience this season.