A CCHS miracle: The Thespians take on “The Miracle Worker”

BY SOFIA MENDEZ

For three nights only, theater brought a classic play to life.

“The Miracle Worker,” by William Gibson, was brought to CCHS for the nights of November 14, 15 and 16. Performed by Troupe 0784, the show presented a three-hour-long heartfelt story on the stage. 

The show is based on a real-life story portraying real human courage, patience and individuality. “The Miracle Worker” dramatizes the early years of Helen Keller, the blind and deaf mute who became a famous author and prominent socialist.

Elena Ashburn’s portrayal of Anne Sullivan, Keller’s lifelong teacher and friend, was compelling. Rachel Goldberg portrayed Keller as a child as she worked to overcome bad manners and temper tantrums, the result of being overly-indulged by her well-meaning but ineffective parents. Moving into a small cottage away from her parents, Anne, who was partially blind herself, assists Keller with some tough love and begins to teach her to spell with her fingers.

Goldberg and Ashburn really outdid themselves in portraying these difficult roles. Not once did they break character. In fact, every single person on stage easily managed to convey their characters, never missing any feature of them, which really made the play memorable. 

The actresses put every single emotion on stage, grabbing the audience’s attention with each moment. 

In addition, the actors and actresses were in convincing costumes based on each character, which really made it seem as if the audience traveled back in time to the late 1880s.

“Being a part of ‘The Miracle Worker’ was truly such an amazing experience to be involved in and such a great way to express my passion for theater,” junior Ashley Michelle, who played a blind girl, said. “We prepared for the show in various ways, such as rehearsals for each individual scene, practicing our blocking with our sets and props and also getting feedback and notes from our director, Ms. Deus.”

A highlight from the show most definitely was the melodrama. There was an emotional resonance between the two main actresses that seemed to transcend mere ‘acting’ and raised the production to an altogether higher, more deeply moving pain. The actresses put every single emotion on stage, grabbing the audience’s attention with each moment. 

In addition, the cast enhanced the production through simple but well-conceived props and settings, the use of lighting and other features that nicely complemented the main action.

The production was an absolutely unforgettable display of powerful acting by our very own CCHS students. The three-hour journey was painfully honest and inspiring.

Photo by Anabella Garcia