Children of a Lesser God (play)

Background

The play was specially written for the deaf actress Phyllis Frelich, based to some extent on her relationship with her husband Robert Steinberg. It was originally developed from workshops and showcased at New Mexico State University, with Frelich and Steinberg in the lead roles. It was seen by Gordon Davidson, Director of the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, who insisted that the male role needed to be played by a more experienced professional actor. The title comes from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King: "For why is all around us here / As if some lesser god had made the world".

Historical casting

Productions

Following a highly successful run at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, the Broadway production, directed by Gordon Davidson, opened on March 30, 1980, at the Longacre Theatre, where it ran for 887 performances. The cast included Phyllis Frelich as Sarah and John Rubinstein as James. David Ackroyd later replaced Rubinstein. Deaf actress Elizabeth Quinn later replaced Frelich, and Linda Bove, another deaf actress, known to television audiences for her more-than-30-year-long run on Sesame Street, had a successful turn in the role as well.

In 1981, the West End production ran originally at the Mermaid Theatre, then at the Albery Theatre, garnering three Olivier Awards. The production starred Trevor Eve and Elizabeth Quinn. Deaf actors from the UK were understudies including Jean St Clair, Sarah Scott and Terry Ruane.

A Broadway revival opened on April 11, 2018, at Studio 54, directed by Kenny Leon and starring Joshua Jackson, Lauren Ridloff, John McGinty and Anthony Edwards.

Reception

Reviewing a 1982 Boston production of the play, critic Carolyn Clay wrote, "Don't believe what you hear about Children of a Lesser God. This much touted, Tony Award-winning exercise in affirmative-action theater does not constitute a great play. It is a nice, rather prosaically written love story that happens to focus on a bright and defiant ‘pure deaf’ woman who marries her speech teacher yet refuses to speak. The production is unusual, however, in that it uses a deaf actress in the role of the deaf woman and two hearing-impaired performers as her hearing-impaired cohorts. This is — depending on how you choose to regard it — either the play's gimmick or its very soul. Certainly the fact that half the drama is spoken in American Sign Language — fleet and eloquent and often delightfully snide — is the only extraordinary thing about it."

Film adaptation

Main article: Children of a Lesser God (film)

In 1986, Medoff adapted the play for film directed by Randa Haines, starring Marlee Matlin and William Hurt.

Awards and nominations

;Awards

• 1980 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play- John Rubinstein
• 1980 Tony Award for Best Play
• 1980 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor- John Rubinstein
• 1980 Drama Desk Award Outstanding New Play
• 1981 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play

Original Broadway production

Original West End production

2018 Broadway revival

References

References

1. Weber, Bruce. [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/15/arts/phyllis-frelich-deaf-activist-and-actress-dies-at-70.html "Phyllis Frelich, Tony-Winning Actress and Deaf Activist, Dies at 70"] ''The New York Times'', April 14, 2014
2. Hipes, Patrick. (August 15, 2017). "Joshua Jackson To Make Broadway Debut As 'Children Of A Lesser God' Sets Dates".
3. Vine, Hannah. (April 12, 2018). "Inside Opening Night for ''Children of a Lesser God''". Playbill.
4. (January 26, 1982). "Let your fingers do the talking". The Boston Phoenix.
5. [https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-1981/ "Olivier Awards, 1981"] officiallondontheatre.com, retrieved May 6, 2018