by William Gibson
Experience the beloved, gripping and inspiring story based on the real-life events of Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Set in the late 19th century, the play by William Gibson explores the transformative journey of communication and understanding between a young deaf-blind girl and her determined tutor. Through patience, perseverance, and empathy, Anne Sullivan unlocks Helen’s world, leading to a powerful and touching exploration of resilience, compassion, and the triumph of the human spirit.
The Miracle Worker began as a television play, and later won a Tony Award in 1959 for Gibson from his original 1957 telefilm script. Gibson, an American playwright, is best known for his plays The Miracle Worker and Two For the Seesaw, as well as for enlisting the talent of Anne Bancroft (as Sullivan), a then-unknown actress.
Don has been directing and serving as an acting coach in school and community theatre for most of his adult life while also serving as a high school teacher and school administrator. He finds it almost impossible to name a favorite show; he just loves the work. Equally comfortable at the helm of both plays and musicals, he has directed over fifty shows, several of them multiple times. He is delighted to be directing The Miracle Worker for Aurora Players.
Immortalized on screen by Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, this Tony Award-winning play is the story of Annie Sullivan and her student, Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing at the age of 19 months. With compassion, humor and dramatic tension, The Miracle Worker explores the volatile relationship between a lonely teacher and her headstrong charge.
Trapped in a secret, silent world, unable to communicate, young Helen is violent and spoiled, treated by her family as subhuman. Only Annie sees a mind and spirit waiting to be rescued from Helen’s dark, tortured silence. After scenes of intense physical and emotional struggle, Helen’s breakthrough finally arrives with the utterance of a single, glorious word: “water.”
The winner of four 1960 Tony Awards, including Best Play, The Miracle Worker has a cast that includes 7 female roles and the same number of male roles. Director Don Wesley will hold auditions at the Roycroft Pavilion this coming January 6 and 7. Callbacks, if needed, will be on January 8. Performance dates are March 28-30, April 4-6, and 11-13, 2025.
THE MIRACLE WORKER — Cast Descriptions
A DOCTOR
KATE – Helen’s mother
CAPTAIN KELLER – Helen’s father, Kate’s husband
HELEN* – struck deaf and blind by a fever she had as an infant
MARTHA* – a servant child
PERCY* – a servant child
AUNT EV – Captain Keller’s older sister
JAMES KELLER – Captain Keller’s son
ANAGNOS – instructor at the Perkins Institute for the Blind
ANNIE SULLIVAN – 20, Helen’s teacher, has a severe vision impairment
VINEY – an adult female servant
BLIND GIRLS* – students at the Perkins Institute
A SERVANT – an adult servant
*Fifth-grade and up age-range for actors auditioning for children’s roles
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