"'Children of a Lesser God' is one play whose sell-by date has definitely passed; even given embers of a still burning debate about deaf culture and identity, this plodding and clinical revival is dull, stale, unremarkable, and problematic in its treatment of a relationship between a deaf student and her teacher. Despite strong performances by TV's Joshua Jackson and deaf actor Lauren Ridloff, skip this one."
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"It's inexplicable to me that a teen heartthrob over a decade past his sell-by date has landed a role on Broadway; still, at the very least, I'd expect him to learn his lines...And isn't the insistence on speaking Sarah's dialogue out loud an implicit endorsement of James' position? Ostensibly about deafness, ‘Children of a Lesser God’ ultimately defers to the demands of the hearing world."
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"The world is a much different place than it was when the 1980 Tony-winning play first brought much needed attention to the complicated issues facing the hearing-impaired...But the drama's impact remains as it unfolds...Ridloff plays Sarah with a don't-mess-with-me vengeance, careful to not let vulnerabilities sneak through...Jackson is solid as James, speaking his own lines and interpreting for Sarah."
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"Jackson gives a completely unenthusiastic, lackluster performance, producing a pompous and condescending vibe that, like him, never seems to go away...Ridloff provides such a powerful honesty to her character that it is impossible not to side with her and to believe everything she says...Perhaps Mr. Leon is unaware that 'Children of a Lesser God' is a deeply offensive play...This production of 'Children of a Lesser God' proves that some plays are best left on the shelf."
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"Both characters and actors, are electric together...Succeeds as a romantic play...Jackson gives the character such a noble, caring nature, and Lidloff's sparkling wit helps you understand why the two fall in love; they strengthen each other...I’d like to say that these lovebirds soar over social barriers and labels, but the reason 'Children of A Lesser God' succeeds as a romantic play is because it shows, sometimes, love is not enough."
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"Still a riveting show despite being slightly dated...What makes the story so engrossing is the manner in which James and Sarah interact...Mr. Jackson and Ms. Ridloff give outstanding performances...The supporting cast members are all first rate...Kenny Leon’s scattershot direction is often cumbersome...Mr. Leon could have improved the pacing of the material and brought more focus to the ending."
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"Medoff's play presents a love story between Sarah, a young woman deaf from birth, and her speaking teacher James...But more than that, the play takes on the conflict between the deaf who would prefer not being forced to accommodate to a hearing world...Although not a perfect production, it has an aura of sweetness and a gentle tension that smacks of a slightly different time. And performances, under Leon's direction, are uniformly excellent. Well worth seeing."
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"Feels amiss despite the two outstanding leads...Too much weight is shouldered by the two which burdens the storytelling...The shortcomings with the play stem from a riddled script, flimsy sets and flawed audio. Too much of the dialogue gets lost in translation. However, the prescient messaging of the play resounds clearly. The multi-racial cast echoes the struggle to feel empathy versus pity and proffering help without browbeating."
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