This just in: Abigail Breslin is an Actress.
And I do mean “Actress” with a capital A. Sure, she’s been working as an actress for years in films like Signs, Nim’s Island, and My Sister’s Keeper. And yes, she did even receive an Oscar nomination at the age of 10 for her work in Little Miss Sunshine, but let’s face it: the nomination was more for being cute than for giving an Oscar-worthy performance.
Her triumphant Broadway debut as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker marks her coming out as a genuine actress. Breslin embodies the young Helen Keller astoundingly. She nails the physicality of the role, but also the frustration and anguish of the young girl herself. Throughout every tantrum, kick, noise, and movement, Breslin is 100 percent convincing.
Oh yes, the rest of the show. Many people are familiar with William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker. The play is about Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan (Alison Pill). Keller went deaf and blind due to an illness when she was one and a half years old, and she became unruly due to her parents’ indulgences. Sullivan was consulted in hopes of finding a way to teach Helen, and Sullivan’s determination achieved strides that Keller’s parents never even imagined.
Director Arthur Penn, who also directed Bonnie and Clyde, first staged Gibson’s play on Broadway in 1959. It starred Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, and both actresses reprised their roles in Penn’s acclaimed 1962 film version.
This new production is the first Broadway revival of the show. It also marks the first time that the show has been staged in the round. Some other critics have said that director Kate Whoriskey’s staging is not properly suited for the round. Despite these criticisms, from my vantage point, the actors seemed to be playing to all parts of the house. Though the thick wires that the furniture is lowered from are very distracting.
Pill is dynamic as Sullivan, and an excellent match for Breslin. Pill has an interesting look, and seems like a mild-mannered individual (audiences might recognize her as Anne Kronenberg in the recent biopic Milk). In The Miracle Worker she alternates between a calm, collected woman and fierce individual with unbreakable resolve.
Another stand out is Matthew Modine (Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket), as Helen’s father, even if he does yell a bit too much. The rest of the cast is fine, but there is nothing particularly noteworthy in their performances. They serve to support the two central performances. And those two performances are so good that I can’t complain.
The whole production may initially seem a little too mannered or folksy, but it quickly rises above this to reveal the strengths of the story, if not the play, and performances. There’s excellent lighting design by Kenneth Posner and original music and sound design by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen. Together, these elements create some stunningly theatrical moments that make Whoriskey’s direction even more engaging.
Even if you are familiar with the story, the newest production of The Miracle Worker is still worth seeing. The story is strong and genuinely emotional, the production elements are very fitting, and those who see the show will one day look back on it and remember the birth of a star.
***
The Miracle Worker plays the Circle in the Square, located at 1633 Broadway. The theater has entrances on 50th and 51st Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue.
Prior to each performance, a limited number of $26 seats are sold via a lottery system. One lottery card per person; limit two tickets per person. During previews, the following schedule is in effect for drawings: Monday, Thursday, Friday at 6:15pm; Tuesday at 5:15pm; Wednesday & Saturday at 12:15pm and 6:15pm.
Tickets are regularly priced at $117.
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