Helen Keller Wasn't Real at Louis Bluver Theatre @The Drake

Becky Bondurant Brings Helen Keller Wasn’t Real to Philadelphia Fringe Festival

What happens when the people you love slip into a different feed?

In this solo show, Becky Bondurant traces the hereditary eye disease that has narrowed her mother’s vision. A liberal, retired English teacher living in Trump country, Becky’s mom has recently become more outspoken on Facebook, where her political posts sometimes feel pointed at members of their family.

Meanwhile, a viral meme has Becky’s high school students convinced that Helen Keller was a fraud. When Becky tries to prove them wrong, she discovers that the version of Keller taught in schools conceals a far more radical and unsettling truth.

Placing these experiences side by side, Becky asks what it means to live in a moment when people who love each other can no longer agree on what is true.

Wry, incisive, and unexpectedly tender, this new production explores misinformation, family, and the fragile hope that we might still find our way back to a shared reality, while asking what happens if we can’t.

Praise for Becky Bondurant’s previous work, Penis Envy

“Vulnerable and truthful… funny and inviting.”
— Chris Klimek, The Washington Post

“Funny, bold, poignant, and transformative… the best kind of monologue show.”
— Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, Broad Street Review

“Best of Fringe 2024… Bondurant is a virtuoso writer and performer.”
— DC Theater Arts

“A wholly original piece… hilarious and deeply affecting… clear, observed work.”
— Mike Daisey