Review: Artists Rep's THE MIRACLE WORKER is a Beautiful Celebration of the Human Spirit

You've probably read Helen Keller's The Story of My Life and seen the 1962 movie starring Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, but if you've never had the privilege of seeing this beautiful piece of theatre on stage (and even if you have), may I suggest you hightail it over to Artists Repertory Theatre to take in THE MIRACLE WORKER. It's not your normal holiday fare, but it will leave you with a profound feeling of the power of language and of the resilience of the human spirit.

THE MIRACLE WORKER, by William Gibson, is the story of Helen Keller's early life. Keller was struck at 19 months of age by an illness that rendered her blind and deaf. She lived her first seven years without language, communicating with her family through only a small set of homemade signs. When Keller was seven, she began to be taught by Annie Sullivan, a determined young woman who was also visually impaired. After a period of intense struggle (Keller was a difficult child -- accustomed to being coddled and prone to tantrums), Sullivan managed to teach Keller the connection between words and the outside world.

The rest of Keller's life is an impressive litany of accomplishments: she was the first blind and deaf person to earn a bachelor's degree -- from Radcliffe College; she learned multiple languages and wrote two books; she co-founded the ACLU and was a founding member of the American Foundation for the Blind; and she spent many years advocating for civil rights worldwide.

THE MIRACLE WORKER focuses on the time between when Annie Sullivan arrives at the Keller residence to the first major breakthrough Helen had understanding language. These two central characters carry all of the play's weight, and it's not a light load. The pivotal scene in the first act is a roughly 10-minute physical struggle in which Sullivan attempts to get a defiant Helen to sit in her chair and eat with a spoon. This is just a hint of the emotional and intellectual struggle that is to come.

I don't think Artists Rep could have found two more perfect actors for these roles than Val Landrum (Sullivan) and Agatha Olson (Keller). They are tremendous. Landrum's Sullivan is feisty and strong-willed, not about to let herself be bested by an insolent seven year-old. Olson (who I later learned has had no formal acting training) is superb as Helen. And this isn't an easy role. She's in almost every scene, and though she doesn't speak, she portrays beautifully the profound loneliness and desperation of an intelligent, curious person trapped in a world without words.

The two leads are supported by an excellent cast featuring many Artists Rep regulars and Portland theatre all-stars, including Michael Mendelson, Amy Newman, and Susannah Mars.

THE MIRACLE WORKER isn't a Christmas story, but it will leave you with all of the warm and fuzzy feelings you want from a holiday show. Surprisingly, it also has a good dose of humor. I recommend it very highly.

A word of advice: get your tissues out during intermission -- you're going to want them in the final scene.

THE MIRACLE WORKER runs through January 10. Get your tickets at www.artistsrep.org

Photo credit: Owen Carey

To post a comment, you must register and login.