About two weeks ago we went to Tuscumbia AL to the Hellen Keller birth place to see the Miracle Worker play. It was very interesting to become reacquainted with the Helen Keller story. However the story revolves around Anne Sullivan who was formerly a blind orphan that comes to Alabama from Yankee Boston to the house of a Rebel captain to help his blind and deaf daughter break out of her dark cocoon. First you arrive at the birthplace grounds and tour the plantation house and outbuildings. After you go to the bleachers. In front is a multilevel stage for various scenes that take place in the house, yard, and outbuilding, train station, etc. They are cut-aways. All through the act they have to mimes using sign language to interpret the act's dialog to any who may be deaf. They mixed up our reserved seating tickets and forgot to assign us numbers so they placed us in the VIP seating upfront by the stage. It worked out okay though being the modest Mennonites that we are, we were at first a little self-conscience. More so because our rowdy boys are a little unpredictable in such settings.
The play starts with Helen's birth and skips along at a pretty brisk pace. Her teenage brother and also the cook bring a little comic relief. The Captain did a good job booming around and acting big and yet in the end shows his soft side as in the end he gives in to his "Helen". Imagine having a little savage girl going around the dinner table sampling everyone's food. She was rather spoiled.
Throw young disciplinarian Anne Sullivan on the scene and you soon have chaos. I liked the skit and it made me appreciate the Helen Keller story more. Though I would say the drama is even more appreciated by the femmine part of your family. It is amazing what perseverance and determination can accomplish against great odds. However I believe desperate prayer on the behalf of mother and Anne Sullivan and the blind girls definitively played a big part --though not mentioned in the skit. It was a miracle there is no doubt.
However I would say more but perhaps you would like to discover it out yourself. Northern Alabama, Tuscumbia at 6:45 pm -10:30pm. Apparently the word is out amongst the Mennonites because we seen quite a few couples and youth there from Mississippi.
To me it was a testament to the mercy of God and that when helping someone in a seemingly hopeless situation---one needs to look up to God:
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Matt 19:26
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