Children of a Lesser God

Play

Writers: Mark Medoff

Overview

Show Information

Category
Play
Number of Acts
2
Tony Award®
Best Play 1980
First Produced
1979
Genres
Drama
Settings
Contemporary, Simple/No Set
Time & Place
present day, memory of James Leeds
Cast Size
small
Ideal for
College/University, Community Theatre, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Theatre
Casting Notes
Mostly female cast
Includes adult, young adult, late teen, mature adult characters

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.

Lead Characters


Children of a Lesser God guide sections