Review: “Children of a Lesser God” Is As Offensive As Ever

Contrary to popular belief, deafness is not a curse, it is not the end of the world, it is not something that necessarily needs to be cured. In fact, many deaf people do not consider themselves disabled, but instead classify themselves as belonging to a linguistic community. If you only speak Albanian, being in a room of English-speaking people is no different than being a deaf person in a room full of hearing and speaking people. Thus, not all deaf people want to read lips, learn how to speak, or get cochlear implants.

Theoretically, all of this information is the theme of Mark Medoff’s 1979 play, “Children of a Lesser God,” the revival of which opened at Studio 54 on Wednesday. The play concerns Sarah Norman, a deaf woman, and her teacher-turned-husband James Leeds. James, played by Joshua Jackson, is passionate about teaching his deaf students to communicate not through sign language, but through speech, something that is often difficult, embarrassing, and frustrating for deaf people. Sarah, played by Lauren Ridloff, refuses to even attempt speaking.

In an unexpected (and unsubstantiated) plot twist, they somehow fall in love and get married, although it is unclear when, how, or why this happens. Soon, James learns that with the marriage comes a lifetime of being an interpreter, a role he clearly does not want. From…