Thursday – Saturday, March 12 – 14, Thursday – Saturday, March 19 – 21 at 7:30 p.m., Orcas Center
— from Artha Kass —
Orcas Center has brought to the island: theater from London, opera from New York, dance from Russia and now from the Island itself, the classic American play, The Miracle Worker, with a stellar all local cast. This powerful play opens on the OffCenter Stage on Thursday, March 12 with additional performances Friday – Saturday, March 13 & 14, Thursday – Saturday, March 19 – 21 at 7:30 pm.
This profoundly moving play by William Gibson is directed by Robert Hall and based on Helen Keller’s autobiography. In Alabama, an illness renders infant Helen Keller blind, deaf and mute. Pitied and badly spoiled by her wealthy Southern parents, Helen is not disciplined, so by age 6 she is a wild, angry, tantrum-throwing child. The Kellers hire Annie Sullivan from New York City, to serve as governess and teacher. “One word and I can put the world in your hand,” Helen’s teacher tells her with fervor.
Through Annie’s fiery persistence and unflagging love, Helen learns to trust, discipline herself and to use her hands to make signs to communicate.
From Director, Robert Hall: “What drew me to this play, though, was something else. Ultimately, this is a family drama about a broken, defeated family and the story of how mom and dad struggle to communicate with their daughter; they fight, they break, they give up. Fight, break, and give up over and over again. Years of fighting to help a child they love. Years of trying to get through to her. Years of loss and pain. This play is about a broken family finally finding a way to heal itself. And I think we can all relate to that.”
Stormy Hildreth (Helen Keller) and Aaimee Johnson (Annie Sullivan) lead the all local cast which includes Tom Fiscus, Kellen Comrie, Gillian Smith, John Cunningham and Cat Gillian.
The play celebrates life with humor and pain and the ability to overcome the greatest obstacles placed in front of you. As Helen Keller once said, “The marvelous richness of the human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.” The Miracle Worker manages to touch the heart and soul; it’s a potent example of a powerful true-life story related in heart-tugging fashion leaving no one unmoved.
The show is ideal for families who might want to expose their children to something a little more substantive and educational.
Tickets for The Miracle Worker are $15, $11 for students, $2 off for Orcas Center members, and may be purchased at www.orcascenter.org or by calling 376-2281 ext. 1 or visiting the Orcas Center Box Office open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from noon – 2 pm. For more information about Orcas Center’s 2015 season visit www.orcascenter.org.
