“Helen, the chick has to come out of its shell sometime…you come out too!” For Helen Keller, life was a black void of ignorance. Almost sealed off from the outside world, pampered by her parents, she understood only desire and reward. And then one day, she encountered a new woman—a stubborn woman with dark glasses—a woman who, once blind herself, nevertheless had the vision to know exactly what Helen needed: language. Annie Sullivan would change Helen Keller’s life forever. Paul VI Catholic High School told her incredible story in “The Miracle Worker.”
Written by William Gibson, “The Miracle Worker” premiered on Broadway in 1959 and enjoyed a revival in 2010, receiving critical praise. It was also adapted into a 1962 film. The play follows the early life of Helen Keller, who has been deaf and blind since infancy, and as a result is completely nonverbal. Helen’s parents, the traditional patriarch captain and his softer wife Kate, have spoiled Helen, allowing her to take over the household with her tantrums. After years of chaos, captain and Kate contact the Perkins School for the Blind to find a governess and teacher for Helen. Annie Sullivan arrives by train a few days later. Shocked by Helen’s lack of manners, Annie resolves to teach her to obey—and to understand language. Despite incredible struggle, after two weeks alone with Annie, Helen experiences a breakthrough when she comes to recognize that the word “water” she can spell with her hand corresponds to the actual water she touches.
Even with no spoken lines, Isabella Whitfield brought incredible depth to Helen Keller. Immersive and realistic, her frightening tantrums and sudden transformation revealed solid commitment. Opposite her, Abigail Rozmajzl embodied the stubborn Annie Sullivan. From her first encounter with Helen, Rozmajzl established the monumental difficulty of her task and her inner conflict over her dead brother Jimmie. Whitfield and Rozmjzal cleanly executed numerous difficult fight scenes, further enhancing their engaging performances.
As Captain Keller, Nathaniel Smith boasted an imposing stage presence and stoic expression. His fierce demeanor contrasted perfectly with the more gentle nature of Kate (Madelene Whitfield). Meanwhile, Joey Arzeno created a volatile relationship within the family as James. Arzeno captured the pained obstinacy of his character, adding both valuable comic quips and explosive moments of frustration.
While some scenes could have been more poignant in a darker setting, overall lighting clarified scene transitions and greatly strengthened the show’s emotional atmosphere. Make-up, which included life-like mustache and goatee pieces, tooth blackening and diseased eye shadow for the decrepit crones, and subtle age lines for several characters, allowed actors to come to life on stage. An ensemble of costumed servants served as the show’s tech crew, creating nuanced characters, including a memorable senile old man (Tommy Kelleher), while moving set pieces safely and quickly.
“When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.” Paul VI Catholic High School certainly fulfilled Helen Keller’s words in their near miraculous production, bringing many in the audience to tears.