STAGE

Hearing-impaired theatergoers in Alton, Ill., are calling for a boycott of a stage production of “Children of a Lesser God” because only hearing actors were cast. “A hearing person who pretends to be deaf is not going to look right, and it’s not going to be presented properly,” said Kellie Perkins, an interpreter at Impact Inc., a center that helps the handicapped in the southern Illinois community. Director Mark Bacus disagreed and said he tried to cast deaf or hearing-impaired actors, but only one hearing-impaired actress showed up to audition. Bacus said she wasn’t suitable for the lead role. “It’s sad and it’s ridiculous,” said Bacus. “The play is going to go on. It must. If I decide to fold, then what’s next? What other theater group will knuckle under to special interest groups?”