Story of Helen Keller gripping drama

By Eric George Tauber

SAN DIEGO — Being deaf is very isolating. Only a handful of people will ever make the effort to learn your language. The blind are largely reliant on the eyes of others to navigate through the world. Being both is nearly unimaginable, but that was the world of Helen Keller.

“She is like a little safe. Perhaps there is a treasure inside.”

Thank God for the people who saw past the disabilities to find that treasure, a keen and intelligent mind with a determined spirit. Helen Keller (1880-1968) was the first deaf-blind person to earn a university degree. She went on to become an author, lecturer and political activist. (She would have favored Bernie over Trump.) The Miracle Worker, the story of how and when that safe was cracked, is playing at the Lamb’s Players through April 10th.

To give us a glimpse into her world, we begin in complete darkness and silence. Slowly, Helen is encompassed in a lonely spotlight while eerie, haunting sounds and voices reverberate in the stillness.

When we meet her, Helen seems more like a spoiled animal than a girl, relying on grunts and tantrums to express herself and fingertips to process information.

Helen’s tutor, Annie Sullivan was a product of a school for the blind in Boston. She got the job because, frankly, they had no other curb to kick her to.

Helen won’t let go of her place as the spoiled center of attention without a fight, so a battle of wills ensues. The mêlée over table manners got so intense that they required the fight choreography skills of Assistant Director, Jordan Miller.

Sullivan can only win by being more obstinate than her charge. Her secret weapon was that she had nothing else to do and nowhere else to go. She was also Helen’s last, best hope before being committed to an asylum for the mentally defective.

When progress is made, the Keller family is content to have her less bestial and more ladylike. But Sullivan won’t settle for less than full realization of language.

Lucia Vecchio is a powerhouse of raw energy as Helen Keller. Committed to inhabiting her deaf-blind world, she takes us on a very intimate journey. Kelsey Venter gives a beautifully layered portrayal of Anne Sullivan. We can see that her cantankerous obstinacy is born of compassion and admiration for Helen. Though her eyes are weak, she sees the potential that others do not. The rapport between the two is as palpable as it is touching.

James Evans Jr. gives a charming portrayal of James Keller, Helen’s older half-brother. He seems to feel cheated of his position as son and heir. Instead of being doted on, he plays second fiddle to his special needs sister and so he cracks wise to fight for attention. We like his wit even when we want to smack his face.

It is prophesied that one day “The eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.” (Isaiah 35:5) But until that day comes, we need the tools of Braille, Sign Language and service dogs. But more importantly, we need the tools of patience, compassion and respect. And to put those tools to work, we need to experience stories like The Miracle Worker.

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Tauber is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.  He may be contacted via eric.tauber@sdjewishworld.com.  Comments intended for publication in the space below must be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the U.S.)