“Children of a Lesser God,” a groundbreaking play about the relationship between a deaf woman and a hearing man, who clash over ideas about speech even as they fall in love, will be revived on Broadway during the 2015-16 theater season, the producer Hal Luftig announced on Monday. The director will be Kenny Leon, who won a Tony Award in June for staging the Broadway revival of “A Raisin in the Sun” last spring.
Written by Mark Medoff, “Children of a Lesser God” opened on Broadway in 1980 and won Tonys for best play and for its stars, the deaf actress Phyllis Frelich and the actor John Rubinstein. The drama ran for more than two years – an unusually long stretch for a nonmusical play. It was adapted into a 1986 film starring Marlee Matlin, who won an Academy Award for her performance, and William Hurt. Ms. Frelich, who died in April, and Ms. Matlin remain the only deaf performers to win a lead Tony and Oscar for acting.
Mr. Luftig, the Tony-winning producer of the hit musical “Kinky Boots,” said he and Mr. Leon want the characters “to reflect society today” and are therefore aiming to cast actors of various ethnicities, including, possibly, an African-American to play the lead character of Sarah. Mr. Luftig said they did not have any specific actors in mind. But he added that he and Mr. Leon were committed to casting deaf actresses to play Sarah.
“Anything else would be insulting to the deaf community,” Mr. Luftig said.
In 2009 an Off Broadway adaptation of the Carson McCullers novel “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” became the target of protests after a hearing actor was cast as a major character who was deaf (but who, in the stage version, also speaks). Some deaf actors complained that auditions for that work were not widely publicized and said they were denied a prime opportunity. Mr. Luftig said he wanted to get the word out about “Children of a Lesser God” now to deaf actors – auditions are expected next summer or fall – as well as to potential investors. He estimated the production would cost $3 million to mount.
Mr. Luftig said he was also on the lookout for a star to play the male lead, James, in hopes that the actor could be a box office draw. But he acknowledged the high demands of the role: James speaks in sign language during much of the play.
“It’s a great, heartbreaking part, but there’s no way we could do stunt casting,” Mr. Luftig said, referring to hiring a performer with high name recognition who is inadequate for the role.
Performance dates and a Broadway theater will be announced later.