NFLT hits the mark with The Miracle Worker

Julie Druker | Nov 25, 2015

The play, the Miracle Worker, is the inspirational and true story of Helen Keller and her miraculous transformation from a wild, frustrated, and unruly child who throws tantrums and lashes out at people into a literate, well-behaved, respectful young girl. The North Frontenac Little Theatre's production of the play, now half way through its four-show run, is well worth taking in.

Helen Keller, 1880 – 1968, became deaf and blind due to an illness when she was 19 months old. She eventually became a world-famous author, speaker, activist and advocate and was the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree.

Helen is played by Sydney Drew in the NFLT production and the story focuses on how she gradually learns from her young and dedicated teacher Annie Sullivan (Annika Putnam), not only to become communicative and literate, but equally how to behave as a civilized human being.

Sullivan, who herself had a very difficult life growing up in “the poor house” with her young brother and who remains haunted by those memories, refuses to abandon her young charge although her efforts are questioned and criticized by Helen's family. Their love and pity for Helen proves detrimental to the child and leads Sullivan to conclude in one of the play's most poignant moments that it is their love and pity that is more of a handicap to Helen than her deafness and blindness. The beauty of this story is in watching the changes in Helen, who from the start is a bright and intelligent child. This transformation is the main dramatic and narrative arc of the play, with Drew and Putnam front and center, and many of their scenes are perfectly drawn.

There are numerous subplots that weave throughout this drama, which include the family patriarch Captain Keller (John Stephen), whose denial and obstacles are almost insurmountable. Other softer obstacles posed by Helen’s loving mother Kate Keller (Barbie Matson) are also depicted. There is the coming of age sub-plot of son James (Nic Alarcon Belanger), whose mother's death leaves him not knowing his proper position in his father's new family, while Aunt Evelyn's (Angie Cowdy) confusion exemplifies the conflict of wanting progress but also trying to maintain the status quo. The play also investigates the history of the conflicting values of America's North and South at that time, with this Alabama family having trouble coming to terms with the outcome of the Civil War.

The play is profound, dramatic, and covers some heady subject matter, and director Carol Belanger along with her formidable cast and crew are up for the task. It is a play that will long be remembered as one of the NFLT's most successful undertakings in the category of drama.

The Miracle Worker continues its run at the Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake, with shows on Saturday, November 28 at 7pm and Sunday, November 29 at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy, the Cardinal Cafe and at the door. or by calling Nina Jenkins at 613-279-2945.