‘Children of a Lesser God’ heading back to Broadway

In 1979, the Mark Taper Forum made a last-minute change to its schedule, adding the new drama “Children of a Lesser God” by Mark Medoff when another title became unavailable due to a rights issue.

The decision proved to be a fortuitous one: the production, directed by Gordon Davidson, was a critical success. The play later transferred to Broadway, where it ran for more than two years, and eventually became an Oscar-winning movie.

“Children of a Lesser God” will be heading back to Broadway in the 2015-16 season, producer Hal Luftig announced Monday. The revival production will be staged by Kenny Leon, the Tony Award winner who recently directed the revival of “A Raisin in the Sun” with Denzel Washington.

Medoff’s play follows the stormy relationship between a young deaf woman and a hearing teacher who has arrived at the school where she works.

No dates or casting have been announced for the Broadway revival. In Los Angeles, the lead roles were played by John Rubinstein and Phyllis Frelich, both of whom also starred in the Broadway run in 1980. (Frelich died earlier this year at the age of 70.)

Both actors won Tony Awards for their performances, and Medoff also took home a Tony for best play.

The movie version starred William Hurt and a then-unknown Marlee Matlin, who won an Oscar for best actress.

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT