Children of a Lesser God

Children of a Lesser God

Studio 54

March 24, 2018

Photo courtesy of Children of a Lesser God

The Broadway revival of Children of a Lesser God is vibrant and powerful.  A diverse cast of skilled actors bring Mark Medoff’s 1980 Tony Award winning play into the present with clarity and relevance.  Scenic design by Derek McLane and lighting design by Mike Baldassari are slick, clean, and unified.  Director Kenny Leon builds the conflict to a high point of revelation that will shift your point of view and open your awareness.  

Joshua Jackson & Lauren Ridloff
Photo courtesy of Children of a Lesser God

Speech Therapist James Leeds (played by Joshua Jackson) has great success teaching deaf and hard of hearing students to speak.  He is assigned a new student, Sarah Norman (played by Lauren Ridloff).  He is challenged by her certainty that communicating through sign language is sufficient.  His attempts to find an entry point around her resolve and stubbornness cause him to fall in love.  The challenge in their relationship increases after they are married.  Her close friends in the deaf community feel Sarah has turned her back on them, and the hearing world is unable to communicate with her unless her husband is translating.  The closer they get, the more out of reach they feel from one another.  How can they unite when there are elements in their worlds they cannot share and will never fully understand?

Photo courtesy of Children of a Lesser God

Lauren Ridloff and Joshua Jackson are drawn to one another as Sarah and James.  They ignite the conflict at the start of this well written play and keep the action aflame through the full two acts.  John McGinty is riveting as Orin Dennis, another of James’ students and close friend to Sarah.  His character is passionate about the rights of the individuals in the deaf community.  The chemistry between him and Ms. Ridloff is palpable.  Treshelle Edmond is fresh and vivacious as the naive Lydia, a hearing impaired student who has a crush on her teacher, James.  Her energetic spirit fills the stage every time she enters.

Children of a Lesser God addresses the differences that separate us.  The play definitively expresses that no one has the right to change or mold another individual to reflect their own image.  This is a strong and pertinent theme for audiences to experience at this time, and this production beautifully illustrates it.  Children of a Lesser God is playing at Studio 54 through September 9. 

Domenick Danza