"Ridloff, who communicates superbly on myriad levels is making a most distinguished Broadway debut in a role she has made entirely her own...While it remains easy to understand the how and the why of this play meaning so very much to so many people, it no longer is so easy to pull for the success of their relationship as you sit in the theater. And, frankly, that messes with the dynamic of the whole affair...These issues are exacerbated by a strange and chilly aesthetic structure."
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"Urges its audience to '#StartListening', but struggles at times to relay a clear message of its own...Jackson's performance loosens as it goes and is especially noteworthy in the second act. Ridloff, however, is downright powerful from the moment she signs her first sentence...'Children of a Lesser God' hopes theatergoers will go home and give some deeper thought to the way they communicate...but the most lasting impression of the show is its two standout performances instead."
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"Although the play's central theme remains timely and has broad application, it has not aged well as a work of drama, with its romance coming off today as corny and overly sentimental...The underwhelming revival does the play no favors with a slick, angular and metallic visual design that unnecessarily calls attention to itself...Its primary problem is a lack of chemistry between the raw and aggressive Ridloff and the unexpressive and uninteresting Jackson."
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"In 1982...it was revelatory...It doesn't hold up all that well. The play still resonates, but the production is flawed...Leon's staging is poorly paced...and the overall effect is rather static...And while Sarah's refusal to speak or lip read is understandable, her angry defiance, as written, is somewhat confounding given their loving relationship. The emotional dynamic seems off...Lauren Ridloff’s talent is stunning...Great work from Joshua Jackson having to do some heavy lifting in this production."
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"Exciting performances infuse Medoff's musty script with new vitality...Between excellent acting and mediocre design, the former wins out, but just barely. I'm still not convinced that ‘Children of a Lesser God’ is durable enough to remain in the theatrical repertory: Medoff's language is too clunky and his drama too contrived. Still, that shouldn't prevent us from connecting with these very human performances for a fleeting moment."
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"Beyond the exquisite portrayals of the two complicated characters at its center, there is a great deal more to commend about the smartly reconceptualized revival...Leon has wisely avoided any lingering mustiness clinging to this nearly forty-year-old work by fully embracing the still-evolving changes in the ways we think about relationships...Lauren Ridloff gives a luminous and emotionally explosive performance as Sarah."
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"A remarkably, uncomfortably dated work...The first act, as James continues to both bully and seduce Sarah, is icky...The lack of any chemistry between the leads doesn't help. And that this production makes Sarah black turns it from icky to deeply discomfiting...The second act...is less gross but no less uncomfortable...'Children of a Lesser God' has some things going for it. Ridloff is sensational, as expressive as she is lovely."
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"The piece feels only modestly affecting and somewhat dated...Jackson pulls off some of Medoff’s more dramatic (and melodramatic) scenes with true conviction. Nonetheless, his performance never completely coalesces...It doesn’t help that Kenny Leon’s entire production feels a bit more lightweight than it should have, from his use of R&B and pop standards that will tempt you to sing along to Derek McLane’s too-pretty abstract set...Leon has cast the play well."
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