BWW Reviews: Pendzick and Sells Shine in Cumberland County Playhouse's THE MIRACLE WORKER
Helen Keller is a name that many people know and recognize. Robbed of her sight and hearing when she was a baby, she lived in a world of darkness and silence until she was let out of that world by a teacher named Annie Sullivan. The Miracle Worker, written by William Gibson, is Annie Sullivan's story. The Cumberland County Playhouse production, directed by Donald Fann, graces the stage in ways of honesty, simplicity and realities of the time in which this story takes place.
The show opens with the Keller family finding out that their child has lost her hearing and sight and we then see them several years later, trying to deal with a young girl who is lashing out at the world that she can neither see nor hear. When we meet Annie Sullivan, we find she is barely an adult herself, and also having had issues with blindness, only regaining partial sight after several surgeries.
We see Annie deal with the memories of her own past, her flashbacks coming as projections on the stage floor. The projections were a very creative and interesting turn on the typical flashback scene on stage, and projecting them on the floor of the stage was an even more creative spin on the idea.
Lindy Pendzick takes the character of Annie Sullivan and pulls out her stubbornness and determination, while showing the progression of her feelings for little Helen Keller. Helen goes from being a job, to being someone that Sullivan truly cares for, and Pendzick shows this growth beautifully.
Emma Rhea Sells plays Helen Keller, a child who speaks only one word the entire show. But Sells acts the daylights out of the role. Every emotion, every feeling, every frustration and fear is easily seen through Sells' movement and facial expressions. It would be easy for a child actor to over act this role, but Sells gets it right. I am even inclined to say that we may have seen the beginnings of a star on The Playhouse stage.
We must also take into account the time in which the story takes place. The early nineteen hundreds was a time in which many things were different. Britt Hancock plays Mr. Keller, the stubborn former Confederate with a soft spot for his wife Kate. Mr. Keller is unsure how to deal with the daughter he's been given, and his much younger wife, Kate, wants to try every avenue to restore Helen's sight and hearing, rather than having her "put away" in an institution. Kate Keller is played by CCP newcomer Meg McWhorter. Kate Keller knows she has her husband wrapped around her finger, and McWhorter gives Keller just the right amount of Southern grace and style to bring that across to the audience.
The interaction between Mr. & Mrs. Keller and Annie (and with their daughter, for that matter) is quite interesting. Both adult Kellers want nothing more than for Helen to be well-behaved and happy. Annie wants Helen to be able to understand the things happening around her. In order to do that, a stubborn Annie and a very spoiled Helen go head to head. The time fame of the show means the discipline of children was very different from what we deem acceptable now. There were a few times I was very taken aback by an action, only to remind myself of both the time and the circumstances that made the show most authentic. Annie also goes head to head with Mr. and Mrs. Keller, certain that there is more to expect from Helen than simple good behavior.
Seeing the development of the relationship between Annie and Helen was eye opening to the nature and personality of both characters. While the relationship was forced by Annie in the beginning, Helen came to trust Annie enough to understand the "finger games" that Annie played with her were actually a way to understand what words meant and a way that would eventually lead Helen out of her dark and silent world.
A beautiful and talented ensemble cast rounds out the show, including Mr. Keller's adult son James, played by Daniel Black, house maid Viney, played by Dee Bell, and a host of other CCP regulars.
If you're looking for a show to give you a glimpse of history and a dose of heartfelt relationships, you will love The Miracle Worker. The Miracle Worker plays in the Adventure Theatre at The Cumberland County Playhouse through May 17th. For more information call 931-484-5000 or visit http://www.ccplayhouse.com
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