Miracle Worker Comes to Life On The Cypress Creek Stage

by Evian Maldonado, Freedom High School

Have you ever imagined that, born a normal child, one day your life would shut down? The story of a young, deaf, and mute child and her miracle teacher was performed by Cypress Creek High School this past weekend. The Miracle Worker, based on a true story, respectably portrayed Helen Keller (Deryn Harbin) and Annie Sullivan's (Megan Rush) progressive relationship and overcoming of the past.

At a young infantile age, Helen Keller (Deryn Harbin) was struck with a devastating illness. This illness eventually caused Helen to forever lose her sight, speech, and hearing. Growing up she was given anything she wanted and allowed to act any way desired thus becoming uncontrollable for Kate Keller (Jessica Ordon) and Captain Keller (Diego Rodriguez). Just when all hope seems lost and Helen is at risk of being sent to an asylum, arrives Annie Sullivan. She is a graduated blind woman who has a torturing past of her own. Through Helen, Annie is determined to bring this uncontrollable child to a civil young woman and put to rest her haunting past. After weeks of repetition, and hardly any improvement, Annie Sullivan gives Helen one more chance through water. The simplest concept and Helen has a breakthrough. Annie Sullivan forever breaks the language barrier for Helen and opens up a new world.

Despite some lacking emotion, Cypress Creek put on an admirable performance of The Miracle Worker. The interaction between most characters was touching and very realistic. A commendable note for the cast of Cypress Creek High School was their ability to transform real-life people into very believable characters. Even though their were a few stumbled lines and missing diction from some of the characters, together the whole cast pulled through and did a very good job.

Portraying Helen Keller, Deryn Harbin showed her skillful acting as a deaf and mute child. Her expressions and actions, for the most part, represented those of a true deaf and mute child. Along with Helen’s performance, her teacher, Annie Sullivan played by Megan Rush, exposed the real Annie. Megan did an excellent job revealing that Annie had a past and showed her emotional conflict and development throughout the show. Another great performance came from Jessica Ordon who played Helen’s mother and connected with every character on the stage. Jessica Ordon pulled anyone watching into her emotional breakdown and struggle as well as her excitement in the end.

Despite the lack of diction for some and the late reactions of lines, as a whole, the cast performed respectably. The emotional development and portrayal as well as the character interaction added a great deal to the performance. Another well done job was performed by the Blind Girls, who even though had a brief moment on stage, did a great job. Their separate characters all uniquely added to the departure of Annie Sullivan.

The technical aspects of The Miracle Worker were also outstanding. Despite a few set and pantomimed object confusions, added effects of lighting and background sounds were the perfect touch. The flashbacks with the red lighting greatly portrayed the haunting past of Annie Sullivan.

With the breakthrough of Helen’s new found ability to communicate, The Miracle Worker concludes with a pleasing impression.

Originally published by The Backstage Noise, Spring Issue, 2006