Dramatic Role Tests Abilities — Actress Hones Skills in ‘Miracle Worker’

By Mark Jordan

For Hernando actress Katelyn Nichols, playing Annie Sullivan in DeSoto Family Theatre’s upcoming production of “The Miracle Worker” is a chance to prove her mettle.

“I’ve always wanted a role where I could really push myself and stretch my acting abilities,” said the 18-year-old Southern Baptist Educational Center senior, who recently played the oldest sister Rose in the company’s production of “Meet Me In St. Louis” and Sharpay in “High School Musical.”

“(Annie) has definitely been the most dramatic role I’ve ever had …. I really worked to be in touch with Annie’s frustrations as far as working with Helen.”

“The Miracle Worker” is a dramatized version of the true story of Helen Keller. Born deaf and blind, Keller was shut out from the world as a child and had become nearly uncontrollable living in 19th- century rural Alabama when Sullivan, a pioneer in reaching out to children with special needs, helped her learn how to interact with the world.

American playwright William Gibson originally wrote “The Miracle Worker” in 1957 for the celebrated TV anthology series “Playhouse 90.” Two years later, he adapted it for Broadway with Anne Bancroft as Sullivan and 10-year-old Patty Duke as Keller. Despite mixed reviews, the production was a smash and won a handful of Tony Awards, including the prizes for Best Play, Direction (Arthur Penn) and Actress (Bancroft).

In 1962, Bancroft and Duke reprised their roles (with Penn again directing) for a film version. Both actresses won Academy Awards for their work.

Since then, the play has been adapted twice more for television, including a 1979 version featuring an adult Duke in an Emmy-winning turn as Sullivan.

Despite being such a well-documented role with a history of award- winning performances associated with it, Nichols had never seen any of the dramatized depictions of Sullivan when she auditioned for the part.

“I read a couple of books on Helen Keller and Annie,” she said. “I wanted to watch the movie ahead of time, so I could visualize her, because I’m definitely a visual person. But I didn’t get to. So I was very nervous for auditions. I felt like everyone else had an upper hand.”

Nichols won the part anyway. Despite a hectic schedule that includes dance classes (she’s an award-winning Irish dancer), college applications and serving as president of the school Thespian Society, she threw herself into preparation for the role, learning sign language, making herself up to more closely resemble the older Sullivan and doing research to develop her interpretation of the character.

The difficulties of staging “The Miracle Worker” run deeper than merely remaining faithful to reality. The play involves intense emotional and physical exchanges between Sullivan and Keller, played by 11-year-old Hutchison school student Lillie Burrow. The scenes are made that much harder because Burrow plays someone who cannot communicate.

“She is an amazing girl, very, very talented,” Nichols says of Burrow. “This is her first show at DFT, but she actually auditioned for shows before that. And I remember auditioning for shows at DFT where I didn’t get cast. So she’s finally made it, and it’s the same thing that happened with me.”

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The Miracle Worker

When: 7 tonight and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: DeSoto Civic Center, 4560 Venture Drive, Southaven

Tickets: $18 for adults, $12 for seniors and students. Tickets are available at the DeSoto Civic Center box office, by phone at (662) 280-6546 and through Ticketmaster, by phone at (901) 525-1515 and online at Ticketmaster.com.

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Originally published by Mark Jordan Special to DeSoto Appeal .

(c) 2008 Commercial Appeal, The. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.