Helen Keller’s life spanned two centuries, and she was equally
as famous in both of them. Mark Twain called her
”
the most important person of the 19th century,
”
and Time Magazine voted her one of the
”
Top 100 Heroes and Icons of the 20th Century.
”
A room at her birthplace is filled with all the awards she
received in her lifetime, and heads of state from all over the
world invited her to visit. Her painstaking struggle to break her
world of silence and the role her sensitive, innovative teacher,
Annie Sullivan, played in accomplishing this has been described in
all kinds of media, including biographies, autobiographies, motion
pictures and theater.
Helen Keller’s life spanned two centuries, and she was equally as famous in both of them. Mark Twain called her “the most important person of the 19th century,” and Time Magazine voted her one of the “Top 100 Heroes and Icons of the 20th Century.” A room at her birthplace is filled with all the awards she received in her lifetime, and heads of state from all over the world invited her to visit. Her painstaking struggle to break her world of silence and the role her sensitive, innovative teacher, Annie Sullivan, played in accomplishing this has been described in all kinds of media, including biographies, autobiographies, motion pictures and theater.
At Helen Keller’s funeral in 1968, Alabama Senator Lister Hill predicted that her legacy was an eternal one. In his eloquent eulogy he said of her, “She will live on, one of the few, the immortal names not born to die. Her spirit will endure as long as man can read and stories can be told of the woman who showed the world there are no boundaries to courage and faith.”
These words have been proven true, and the story of the miracle that happened at a plain, black well pump in the small town of Tuscumbia, Ala., more than 100 years ago remains as fresh and inspiring today as then. South County audiences are in for a wonderful theater experience with Odyssey Theatre Company’s upcoming production of “The Miracle Worker,” by William Gibson. This play has electrified audiences ever since it opened on Broadway in 1959. The winner of six Tony Awards, including best play, the original production starred Anne Bancroft as the teacher and Patty Duke as Helen Keller.
Jeff McGrath, who is currently the Artist-in-Residence at The Western Stage in Salinas and most recently gave an outstanding performance as John Proctor in that theater’s production of “The Crucible,” has come on board to produce and direct for Odyssey. He is surprised himself at the growth of his personal attachment to the material and attributes this to several factors.
“The characters and their struggles are very powerful, and it’s an amazing experience to be able to recreate their story, a story that is so wonderfully universal,” he explains. “Everybody has struggles that one thinks are monumental; Helen and Annie’s struggle is related to communication, and this has particular meaning for me because, as a director and actor, I struggle to communicate ideas and emotional concepts. Another aspect that I find compelling is the way Gibson infused the play with so much humor and humanity, making it a lot easier to identify with someone who has a disability.”
Given the attraction of working with McGrath, the production soon took on a hybrid quality, combining some of Western Stage’s talent with South County’s own. Julie Preslar-Bell, whose chilling performance as Abigail Williams in “The Crucible” still haunts me, plays the lead role of Annie Sullivan, and Michaela Petrovich portrays Helen. Joining them are some well-known locals, including John Brewer, who recently appeared as Henry Higgins in South Valley Civic Theatre’s “My Fair Lady” in the role of Captain Keller and Jennifer Hamilton, a veteran of Odyssey productions, as his wife. Also included in the cast and production staff are several students from our local schools, who are having the experience of a lifetime working with such veteran actors.
Odyssey Theatre Company, which is affiliated with the Gilroy Unified School District Educational Foundation, was created in 1995 to provide a continuum of arts education experiences for students and to serve as a resource for teachers. Mainstage productions, like “The Miracle Worker,” are selected not only because they are tied to school curriculum but also because they represent the rich literary and artistic heritage of theater.
Two other aspects of this production are directly related to Odyssey’s educational mission. First, there will be displays in the theater lobby related to the play’s themes and characters. Secondly, three performances will be signed by a sign-language interpreter in order to provide the deaf and hearing-impaired community with an opportunity to experience theater; students who are learning sign language as a second language also will benefit from the interpretation.
The plays opens Jan. 24 and runs for three weekends at the Gilroy High School Theater. Curtain time is 8 p.m., except for one matinee performance that begins at 2 p.m. on Feb. 2. The following three shows will be signed: Jan. 24, Feb. 2 (matinee) and Feb. 8.
Ticket prices are $12 for adults and $8 for students and seniors; special rates for classes of 15 students or more are available. Call 808-1444 for reservations or log onto www.odysseytheatre.org for more information about the company.
Another wonderful learning experience is happening right up the street at Gavilan Colege. Julianne Palma will be directing two sessions of after-school STAR TV. Student participants will be writing, acting and performing their own scripts on Gavilan’s new educational channel.
Session I begins Jan. 27, and signups are through Gavilan Community Education at 847-2514.
As for this weekend, my plans are to laugh my head off at the recently opened Pintello Comedy Theater, and I can hardly wait. “Holiday Snap” sounds like a typical British farce filled with misconceptions, chaos and lies that take on a life of their own. Call 776-8004 or e-mail [email protected] for ticket information.
