Reviewed by Lia Tremblay
The Miracle Worker tells the story of Helen Keller, a 5-year-old child who lost the ability to see and hear after an illness earlier in life, and Annie Sullivan, the teacher who worked hard to help her communicate and learn despite these challenges. It’s truly a miraculous story, made even more impressive by the fact that it actually happened—and it was only the beginning of a lifetime of activism and achievement seldom accomplished even with perfect vision and hearing.
Swift Creek Mill Theatre’s current production of the show is its third in twenty years (and the third time Artistic Director Tom Width has portrayed Helen’s father). The production company’s fondness and reverence for the story certainly shows, and the cast perfectly executes some very difficult scenes.
Audra Honaker (whom you may have seen recently as Tevye’s oldest daughter in Virginia Rep’s production of Fiddler) shines as Annie Sullivan, the teacher whose no-nonsense, zero-coddling approach is crucial to Helen’s progress, but whose own tragic history is revealed through tear-jerking flashbacks. She effortlessly balances a tough and tender manner, confident and despairing as the one person whose intervention can save Helen from being institutionalized – and the one person who knows most surely what that would mean.
Width and Lisa Kotula are compelling as Helen’s parents, torn between pity for their daughter’s condition, grief for the child she might have been, and the hope that they can still reach her potential with Sullivan’s guidance. As Helen’s older half-brother, Jesse Mattes lashes out with exasperation, as the family bursts under the pressure of accommodating a child who is getting harder and harder to handle.
Sharalyn Bailey and Donathan Patrick Arnold portray the family’s maid, Viney, and her son, Percy, who are in the predicament of sharing close quarters in a volatile situation, but have little control over its outcome. Their parts were regrettably small but enjoyable, particularly Percy’s gentle but honest 
interpretation of interacting with his unpredictable playmate.
The part of Helen is split between two young actors, who rotate the very demanding role between productions. Local fifth grader Isabella Cippolina portrayed Helen flawlessly on the night I attended. Cippolina was remarkably steadfast in her performance, with a gaze and demeanor that showed not only Helen’s clear limitations in sight and hearing, but also the willfulness and cleverness that would not only make her famous, but also compel her to greatness.
The set and costumes were all perfectly evocative of late eighteen hundreds Alabama, and indicative of the attention to detail I’ve come to expect from Swift Creek Mill. One small criticism (perhaps only noted by the mamas in the audience): In the first scene, where we see the worried parents fussing over her cradle as she recovers from the fateful illness, Helen’s cry is heard in a recording that sounds like a newborn – but her illness actually occurred at nineteen months of age. It’s a small detail, but one that took me out of the story long enough to puzzle over whether an infant or toddler was in that cradle, and what symptoms her parents were fretting about.
The show provides great fodder for family discussion, but is recommended for children no younger than 4th grade. (Some kids may benefit from reading and discussing an age-appropriate book about Helen Keller before attending the show.) It’s presented in two acts with a short intermission, providing some time to answer questions and talk through major themes at the halfway mark.
All in all, The Miracle Worker is another great production from Swift Creek Mill. It runs through Feb. 15, and is a story not to be missed! For tickets and showtimes, go here: The Miracle Worker or call 804-748-5203.
