Children of a Lesser God NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (779)
See it if you like plays. This is different since it was mostly in sign language.
Don't see it if you expect subtitles for the sign language part.
See it if Differently talented people
Don't see it if you are intolerant of disabilities.
See it if If you like great acting and plays about issues
Don't see it if you need action
See it if You are interested in how revivals remain relevant. This is also a high-interest show for anyone with knowledge of ASL and/or deaf culture.
Don't see it if you want something light and purely entertaining, or are bothered by not catching every reference. Read more
See it if You are a fan of the original show/movie, are a fan of Joshua Jackson, you are interested in deaf culture, or inspired by great storytelling
Don't see it if you are expecting a contemporary story. This production was first staged in 1979 and shows its age.
See it if the writing and acting are great and very impressive. It's an entertaining and touching show.
Don't see it if you want something with a little more direction and set design. It is a tougher show to watch because of all of the translating that occurs
See it if a wonderful all inclusive play that highlights amazing talents of actors both hearing and non-hearing
Don't see it if you should see it
See it if You need a lesson on the world of the deaf.
Don't see it if If you’ve already seen it once.
Critic Reviews (46)
"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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"The pedigree of this story promised some acting fireworks...When the play centers its focus on the core relationship, 'Children of a Lesser God' is at its best...Chemistry between these two central characters is critical here and both actors deliver on that promise...However, I did not really get engaged so by the end, all of this fell a little flat for me. A very good clinical and analytical study with some great acting roles but not exceptional enough to be considered a top-tier play."
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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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"McGinty and Edmond speak as well as sign their dialogue, bringing into focus how isolated Sarah is...Leon seamlessly fuses conversations taking place at different places to create an exquisite storytelling tableau. The story still is timely decades after the play's debut. 'Children of a Lesser God' makes us sit up and listen."
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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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"Changing deaf community politics in the four decades since the original production, plus the stilted mechanics of Kenny Leon’s direction, plus the use of supertitles for what is and is not translated using that tool, create a murky mess of a story that might once have resonated but which hasn’t aged well...This is an odd play to revive without adaptations, either in the text or in the staging."
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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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