[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> SO, CAN A WOMAN BORN DEAF FIND LOVE WITH A MAN WHO CANF
FIND LOVE WITH A MAN WHO CAN HEAR?
HEAR?
OR ARE THE DIFFERENCES JUST TOO GREAT? THE DIFFERENCES JUST TOO
GREAT?
"CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD" IS BACK ON STAGE IN A BRAND-NEWS
BACK ON STAGE IN A BRAND-NEW REVIVAL.
REVIVAL.
FIRST, A REMINDER OF THE STORY THAT BEGAN ALMOST 40 YEARS AGO.
AND A QUICK NOTE.
THIS PLAY IS STRIVING TO BE THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL IN BROADWAY
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
THE PLAY IS CLOSED CAPTIONS AND
YOULL SEE THAT REFLECTED IN THE CLIPS, AS WELL.REFLECTED IN THE
CLIPS, AS WELL.
WATCH THIS.
>> I HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH
COMMUNICATION SKILLS.
>> Reporter: IT WAS A STORY THAT
IGNITED A CONVERSATION BETWEEN
THE HEARING AND THE DEAF
COMMUNITY.
A SPEECH THERAPIST NAMED JAMES, DETERMINED TO TEACH A CLEANING,
DETERMINED TO TEACH A CLEANING WOMAN NAMED SARAH, WHO WAS DEAF,
TO SPEAK.
>> I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT TO SPEAK.
BUT I DONT SPEAK.
I DONT DO THINGS THAT I CANT
DO WELL.
>> Reporter: CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD HIT THE BROADWAY
STAGE IN 1979 AND WAS MADE INTO
A FILM SEVEN DAYS LATER.
>> NO ONE IS GOING TO SPEAK FOR
YOU AGAIN?
YOU AGAIN?
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO IMAGINE? >> Reporter: MARLEY MATLIN TOOK
OSCAR GOLD, BECOMING THE ONLY
DEAF ACTOR IN HISTORY TO WIN THE
STATUE.
STATUE.
AFTER 39 YEARS, THE PLAY IS BACK
ON BROADWAY.
JOSHUA JACKSON, BEST KNOWN FROM
"THE AWARE" TAKES THE STAGE WITH
LAUREN RIDLOFF. >> WHAT IF WE WENT TO LIVE IN A
CITY SOMEWHERE.
CITY SOMEWHERE.
>> Reporter: TO SEE IF ROMANCE CAN BLOOM IN SOUND AND INMANCE
CAN BLOOM IN SOUND AND IN SILENCE.
SILENCE. JOSHUA JACKSON AND LAURA
RIDLOFF, WELCOME.
RIDLOFF, WELCOME.
ALSO WITH US, LAURENS TRANSLATOR.S, LAURENS
TRANSLATOR.
NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
SO, THIS IS A BROADWAY DEBUT FOR BOTH OF YOU.A BROADWAY DEBUT FOR
BOTH OF YOU. FIRST OF ALL, YOURE UP THERE
FOR THE ENTIRE 2 1/2 HOURS,
SIGNING, SPEAKING.
SIGNING, SPEAKING. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> WE CAN KNOW WHETHER YOU HAVE
IT RIGHT BECAUSE THERES CLOSED
CAPTIONS, SO HE CANT SKIP A
WORD.
WORD.
>> THATS TRUE. >> HOW MUCH PRESSURE IS THAT ON
YOU FOR YOUR BROADWAY DEBUT?
>> IT IS EVERYTHING.
AS MUCH PRESSURE AS I CAN PUT ON
MYSELF BUT IT IS SUCH A JOY
OVERNIGHT.
OVERNIGHT.
THE WORD COP UP ABOVE, I CAN LIVE WITHOUT THAT.OVE, I CAN
LIVE WITHOUT THAT. BUT TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO
EVERYTHING THAT I KNOW HOW TO DO
AS AN ACTOR AND PUT THAT ON
STAGE WITH HER IS AMAZING.
>> I LOVE YOUR STORY, LAUREN.
IS IT TRUE YOU WERE NOT LOOKING
FOR A ROLE AS AN ACTRESS IN THIS
PLAY.
PLAY.
>> I WASNT.
NOT AT ALL.
AT FIRST, I JUST BEGAN WORKING WITH OUR DIRECTOR, KENNY.RKING
WITH OUR DIRECTOR, KENNY. I WAS TEACHING HIM AMERICAN SIGN
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE LANGUAGE, TEACHING HIM ABOUT
DEAF CULTURE.
DEAF CULTURE.
ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER, AND
HERE I AM, ON BROADWAY. WHAT HAPPENED?BROADWAY.
WHAT HAPPENED?
>> HES SITTING THERE SAYING,
WAIT.
I THINK I FOUND MY LEADING LADY.
>> I GUESS HE DID.
>> ISNT THAT AN INCREDIBLE WAY
TO GET CAST AS THE LEAD IN A
BROADWAY PLAY.
>> ITS EVEN STRANGER THAN THAT.
YOU KIND OF HAVE TO TELL THAT
STORY.
>> YES, TELL.
>> TELL THE WHOLE STORY.
YOU DO IT.
>> OKAY.
MY VERSION OF THE STORY IS,
KENNY WAS TAKING HIS SIGN
LANGUAGE LESSONS AND HE FOUND THIS WONDERFUL WOMAN WHO PUT HIM
INTO LIKE A DEEP EMERSION CLASS.
AS HE WAS PUTTING TOGETHER THE
FIRST READ-THROUGH LIKE 18
MONTHS AGO OF THIS SHOW, HE HAD
PUT TOGETHER A CAST OF PEOPLE
AND HE SAID TO ME, HE SAID, I
HAVE FOUND EVERYBODY BUT I CANT
FIND MY LEADING LADY.
BUT I HAVE THIS AMAZING WOMAN
WHO HAS BEEN TEACHING ME SIGN
LANGUAGE.
LANGUAGE.
FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE
READ-THROUGH, WELL USE HER AND ILL CONTINUE MY SEARCH.HER AND
ILL CONTINUE MY SEARCH. WE GET TO THE CLIMATIC SCENE AND
IT DOESNT GIVE ANY OF THE POWER
AWAY, LAUREN SAYS, THROUGH
CANDICE, I HAVENT USED MY VOICE
IN 25 YEARS AND IM NOT SURE HOW
ITS GOING TO HOLD UP IF I USE
IT TWO DAYS IN A ROW.
AND SO, ALL THE HEARING PEOPLE
IN THE AUDIENCE GO, WHAT?
OF COURSE, DONT USE YOUR VOICE
TODAY, SAVE IT FOR TOMORROW.
AND WE GET INTO THE NEXT DAY,
NOW, WERE DOING THE READING FOR
ALL OF THE MONEY PEOPLE AND THE
PRODUCERS AND THE CRUSTY
NEW YORK CROWD.
AND WE GET UP TO THAT CLIMATIC
SCENE.
ALL OF US KNEW WE WERE GOING INTO UNCHARTED TERRITORY.ING
INTO UNCHARTED TERRITORY. OUT OF THIS WOMAN COMES
SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN ONLY
EXPERIENCE IF YOURE THERE LIVE.
AND THIS CRACKLING ENERGY GOES
THROUGH THE ROOM.
AND I COMPLETELY CAME UNGLUED.
BY THE TIME I WAS BRAVE ENOUGH
TO LOOK UP AT EVERYBODY IN THE
ROOM, THEY HAD COMPLETELY COME
UNGLUED.
UNGLUED.
WE GET THROUGH THE NEXT TEN PAGES OF THE THING AND FINISH IT
UP.
UP.
AND KENNY AND I ARE WALKING DOWN NINTH AVENUE AFTERWARDS AND JUST
AWE STRUCK, FRANKLY.
I REMEMBER US BOTH SAYING TO
EACH OTHER, MAN, IF SHE CAN DO
THAT, THATS OUR WOMAN.
WEVE FOUND HER.
>> THAT IS YOUR WOMAN.
>> REALLY.
>> REALLY. >> NOW, THE REVIEWS OF THE SHOW,
OF YOUR PERFORMANCE, HAVE BEEN
SUPERB.
SUPERB.
I MEAN, THEY CANNOT SAY ENOUGH
POWERFUL, AMAZING THINGS ABOUT
YOU.
AND YOU DO HAVE A LOT IN COMMON
WITH THE CHARACTER THAT YOURE PLAYING, ESPECIALLY WHEN ITRE
PLAYING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO BEING DEAF AND YOUR
CHOICES WHEN IT COMES TO
SPEAKING.
SPEAKING.
CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT? >> ABSOLUTELY. ON THAT?
>> ABSOLUTELY. YES.
YES.
ON THE SURFACE, I HAVE A LOT IN COMMON WITH SARAH.HAVE A LOT IN
COMMON WITH SARAH. WE WERE BOTH BORN DEAF.
WE BOTH WENT TO A RESIDENTIAL
SCHOOL FOR DEAF CHILDREN AND WE
MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION NOT TO
USE OUR VOICES.
WHEN I WAS 13, I WENT TO
ASLEEPAWAY CAMP.
ASLEEPAWAY CAMP.
AND I WAS THERE WITH OTHER DEAF
CHILDREN AND DEAF ADULTS, WHO
WERE THE COUNSELORS, OF COURSE.
AND I REALIZED FOR THE FIRST
TIME, I CAN EXPRESS MYSELF
FREELY IN AMERICAN SIGN
LANGUAGE, RATHER THAN TRYING TO
DO SIMCOM, WHICH IS WHAT JOSH HAS TO DO ON STAGE. WHAT JOSH
HAS TO DO ON STAGE. HE HAS TO SPEAK THEM AND SIGN
HIS WORDS.
HIS WORDS.
AND IT FEELS LIKE THAT.
>> THAT, WE ALL GOT. I DONT KNOW HOW JOSH DOES IT
EVERY NIGHT.
EVERY NIGHT.
IM IN AWE.
HES AMAZING. BUT BACK AT THAT TIME WHEN I WAS
13 AT THAT CAMP, I REALIZED THIS
IS AN EASIER WAY TO COMMUNICATE.
ITS ON EESS AN EASE OF BEING M
WHO I AM.
WHO I AM. I WENT HOME AND TOLD MY FAMILY,
THATS IT.
THATS IT.
IM NOT GOING TO USE MY VOICE ANYMORE.OING TO USE MY VOICE
ANYMORE.
>> WOW.
WELL, YOUR BEAUTY SHINES
THROUGH.
WE HEAR YOU AND UNDERSTAND YOU PERFECTLY IN EVERYTHING YOU DO.
I FEEL LIKE THAT BEAUTY COMES
FROM WITHIN.
FROM WITHIN.
AND WHETHER YOU EXPRESS IT WITH YOUR VOICE OR YOUR HANDS, WE SEE
IT.
IT.
I CANT LET YOU GO WITHOUT
ASKING ABOUT THE AFFAIR.
I MEAN, PLEASE.
ARE COLE AND ALICE GETTING BACK TOGETHER?AND ALICE GETTING BACK
TOGETHER?
>> NO. >> SPOILER.
>> SPOILER. >> THATS NOT GIVING ANYTHING
AWAY.
AWAY.
I THINK THE ADS MAKE THAT CLEAR. >> I DONT KNOW. MAKE THAT CLEAR.
>> I DONT KNOW. IM STILL ROOTING FOR THEM.
DONT WANT HER WITH NOAH.
>> THATS THE TEASE.
>> HAVE YOU STARTED SHOOTING?
>> WE FINISHED IT.
WE SHOT THAT -- I FINISHED THAT
BEFORE I CAME HERE TO START
THIS.
THIS.
>> NO REST FOR THE WEARY.
GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. ALL THE BEST TO YOU BOTH.
>> THANK YOU.
"CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD" IS
PLAYING AT STUDIO 54 ON
BROADWAY.
BROADWAY.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL SURPRISE FOR THE AUDIENCE -- EVERYONE HERE IS
GETTING A PAIR OF TICKETS TO THE