By Shayan Abbasi
The Miracle Worker comes to Fountain Valley High School (FVHS)! In a meticulously designed production with a stellar cast and crew, this classic play offers something for everyone. The show ran from December 6-10 and alternated between multiple casts. Bringing the miraculous story of Helen Keller to life is no easy task, but the FVHS Theatre crew manages to pull it off.
After the stage lights dim, the play commences with Helen being born and Kate Keller, Helen’s mother, noticing her baby being unresponsive. She often struggles with doctors and family, frustration stemming from wanting to be able to see, but every day she slips further away. Because she cannot communicate properly, she turns her anger towards an external source: those around her. She becomes uncouth and unruly, often acting out violently and simply a royal mess.
Her violent outbursts lead to her family pondering whether or not to send her to a mental asylum, where rats and mice so expeditiously run amok. When Annie enters the play, however, Helen’s fate seems to take a turn for the better. Annie herself, being partially blind, was able to bond with Helen in a way her doctors and family could not. Even though there were hiccups in the road, such as Helen locking her teacher in the room, fighting over food, or chucking spoons away, Annie was still successful in teaching word association to her by the end of the play, through patience and perseverance. The play then ends with Helen learning how to communicate through spelling out words.
The story of Helen Keller is an inspirational one, but it is also crucial to note the cast’s part in bringing that story to life. Senior Katie Bell and sophomore Lizzy Doan portrayed the lead roles of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller. Other roles, including Kate Keller and Captain Keller were equally impressive, as they established a criterion based on which emotional support for Helen would be derived from. The character of Helen Keller is, both deaf and blind, making it a difficult task to portray her effectively and correctly.
Since the character does not have very many speaking lines, it was, therefore, crucial to depict her personality through physical gestures and interactions with other characters. Many of Helen’s actions, which could be perceived as inconsequential, such as her locking Annie in the room or having improper table manners, were, in fact, of great significance to the story. After all, an action is worth a thousand words; in Helen Keller’s case, that makes all the difference.
According to Doan, she prepared for the demanding role of Helen by watching “a lot of versions of the Miracle Worker, including the movies.” According to her, the “hardest part was learning how to be blind and not trying to offend the role, making it realistic and taking care of the role of Helen Keller as she meant a lot to a lot of people.”
Watching Helen’s dynamic with her mentor Annie throughout the play, it is apparent that their relationship is crucial to the former’s learning to communicate. Though at first a rocky relationship, it soon evolves into a two-way bond where they both learn important lessons from each other. The character of Annie itself is a compelling one. Being independent and resourceful, she is not afraid to call out the Keller’s when they are wrong and puts Helen’s needs foremost. As it was a main role crucial to the story, it took much preparation.
“I prepared for the role by doing a lot of research on Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller and her process with her,” Bell said. “And I, of course, read over the script a thousand times.”
Apart from the cast, the crew’s work was also crucial in ensuring the play was successful. From behind the production stage, through crew sets and prop managers, the crew effectively created an illustrious stage in which the cast could tell Helen’s story.
“It’s such a heartwarming story, and I think it’s a good lesson for everyone to hear,” Bell said.
The show imparted a wholesome message, emphasizing kindness and determination in the face of adversity, while also being an entertaining watch.
