It’s the turn of the 20th century and the men in the wealthy Hubbard family of Alabama appear to have all the power. But Regina Hubbard Giddens has no intention of letting them control the family fortune in Lillian Hellman’s classic play “The Little Foxes,” to be staged Sept. 25-Oct. 28 at Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays; Sept. 28-Oct. 28. previews are at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25-27; plus additional matinees 1 p.m. Oct. 3 and 17. There is no performance on Oct. 5.
“I tend to get cast in the roles that are real powerhouse women,” said Saren Nofs-Snyder, who plays Regina. “She is the smartest sibling in a family of three, who has the misfortune of being born a woman. So she is not valued for her intelligence. She is frequently told by her older brother to smile more and she’ll get what she wants. Boy, isn’t that a phrase we hear in the media today — telling women to smile.”
That’s one issue that makes this 1939 play relevant today.
In order to get what she wants, Regina “has to go to some extreme lengths, which includes a particularly unsavory act,” Snyder hinted. “The choices that she makes are in order to gain more financial freedom for herself and for her daughter.”
Director Kristina McCloskey noted that Regina “is painfully aware of the world that she lives in and how unfair it is that she knows that she can best all of these people around her.”
The challenge of playing a character as tough as Regina is finding “the moments where I can express love and express kindness, even if it isn’t apparent in the script,” Snyder said. “I don’t want the audience to hate her from word one.”
Alicia Kahn plays Regina’s sister-in-law Birdie. “Birdie is a little lost,” Kahn said. “Much like Regina, Birdie has her dreams of what she wants. She’s just not as good at expressing them or getting them as Regina is.”
Birdie appears to have a drinking problem but that’s up for debate. “It’s not entirely clear how much of that is fed by her husband and others to sort of keep Birdie in her place,” Kahn said.
“There is a very easy route for Birdie, to view her as a victim, in particular because she’s turned to alcohol as a way to try to protect herself,” the director said. “Something that’s been really helpful is diving into Birdie’s moments of strength.”
Kahn noted that Birdie greatly admires Regina. “Birdie would love to be Regina because Regina has it all together,” Kahn observed. “She’s fun and outgoing and, in so many ways, the opposite of Birdie.”
Kahn finds Birdie an interesting character to play because, “She has this joy in herself even when times are hard and things aren’t going her way.”
Kahn believes the play has universal themes. “It’s about how do we get what we want?” she said, and what is it we want?”
Director McCloskey agrees that “The Little Foxes” is still relevant. “A lot of the same issues that are coming out of the show are eternal human themes — morality, sexism and racism. The way that people navigate their way through the world.”
In terms of the Hubbards and their travails, McCloskey declared, “There are families like this everywhere.”
“Lillian Hellman is a fascinating playwright,” McCloskey concluded. “The language and the meat of the show was a huge draw for me.”
‘The Little Foxes’
When: Sept. 28-Oct. 28; previews Sept. 25-27
Where: Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest
Tickets: $40 weekdays; $45 Saturdays and Sundays; $20 previews
Information: 847-735-8554, ext. 1; www.citadeltheatre.org
