Overview
Synopsis
First produced in 1979, Children of a Lesser God was written specifically for deaf actress Phyllis Frelich, and based in part on her real-life relationship with her husband. In the story, an idealistic teacher at a State School for the Deaf falls in love with a woman who has been deaf since birth. She was once a student there, but is now a maid, and would rather clean bathrooms in silence than learn to speak. But she falls in love with the teacher, and together they have to find a place of communication between the hearing and the deaf, between sign language and speech. Back on Broadway in 2018, Children of a Lesser God is at times funny, occasionally irreverent, but always honest as it challenges commonplace notions of hearing, speaking, and communication.
Show Information
- Book
- Mark Medoff
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1979
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Contemporary, Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- present day, memory of James Leeds
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Theatre, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Late Teen, Mature Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
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Lead |
Male |
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Lead |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Cindi Calhoun
Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress