FARMINGTON – On May 7, 8, and 9, Mt. Blue High School Theater Company will present “The Miracle Worker,” the Tony award-winning story of Helen Keller.
“The Miracle Worker,” by William Gibson, is the Mt. Blue Theater Company’s second disability-related play of the year. Last fall, MBTC performed “The Boys Next Door,” a humorous but occasionally violent study of mental disability. In contrast, “The Miracle Worker” is pure fun, an engaging story with a “miraculous” conclusion.
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Jennifer Hinds plays Helen, who loses her sight and hearing after an illness as an infant. In desperation, her parents–Captain Keller (Sam Cohen) and Kate (Carolyn Magri)–send for a teacher for Helen.
Annie Sullivan (Louisa Stancioff) arrives with an optimistic attitude, but she is not quite what the Kellers expect. And Helen is not what Annie expects. Soon after meeting her, Helen locks Annie in her room, forcing Captain Keller to use a ladder to retrieve her in a memorable fashion.
But Helen’s behavior does not deter Annie–it only encourages her. In Act Two, Annie kicks the Keller family out of the breakfast room, and attempts to teach Helen table manners. This long and uproarious scene ends with Helen, Annie, some scrambled eggs, and a couple dozen spoons all strewn on the stage floor.
The conclusion of Act Three features the famous “miracle” scene, in which Helen realizes that each physical object has a name. For this scene, the MBTC crew has set up a real, functioning water pump on the auditorium stage.
Gibson, who passed away in November 2008, derived his title from the words of Mark Twain, who said that “Helen is the miracle and Miss Sullivan the miracle worker.” Gibson described his play as a “love letter” to Annie Sullivan. “The title was meant to show where my affections lay,” he said. “This stubborn girl of 20, who six years earlier could not write her name, and in one month salvaged Helen’s soul, and lived thereafter in its shadow, seemed to me to deserve a star bow.”
“The Miracle Worker” is very unlike the many TV knockoffs of the story. Deeper themes are explored on the stage. Conflict and resolution are examined–Annie fights with haunting memories, Captain Keller fights with his son James (Azriel Stinson), and Helen fights with her own lack of understanding. But by the conclusion of the play, all of the conflicts have been resolved. Annie Sullivan is a “Miracle Worker” not just for Helen, but for the entire Keller family.
“The Miracle Worker” is appropriate for all ages, unless you are terrified of gruff Southern gentlemen and messy dining rooms.
Deborah Muise directs and Katie Rice assistant directs “The Miracle Worker.” The performance will start at 7 p.m. in the Mt. Blue High School Auditorium on May 7-9. Tickets are $2.50 for students, $4.50 adults.
