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FOA play brings to life Keller’s inspiring story
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Posted on Jan 25 2012
By Clarissa David
Reporter
Reporter
The inspiring story of Helen Keller and her dedicated teacher Anne Sullivan came to life in the Friends of the Arts production of The Miracle Worker last Jan. 20 to 22 at the Marianas High School Dolphin Theatre.
The play by William Gibson was based on Keller’s autobiography, The Story of My Life, and showed how Sullivan became instrumental in instilling discipline and teaching language to Keller, who was rendered blind, deaf, and mute by an illness at a young age.
The cast was composed of Anna Cavert as Helen Keller, Laura Kyonka as Annie Sullivan, Frank Gibson as Captain Arthur Keller, Nava Khorram as Katie Keller, Christian Cruz as James Keller, Linda Wingenbach as Aunt Ev, Wincel Bubos as Viney, Xuchong Liang as Percy, and Ageline Sahagun as Martha.
Off-stage voices were Ken Manalo as the doctor, Ericka Serrano as Jimmy, and Bruce Li, Armand Khorram, and Bubos as voices from Annie’s past.
Costume designs for the cast were made by Thespian students Carlos Manalo of Saipan Southern High School for Annie Sullivan; Helen Choi of MHS for Helen Keller; Dennis De Guia of MHS for Capt. Keller; Yong Jeong Kim of SSHS for Kate Keller and Percy; Hannah Alcordo of MHS for James Keller; Jacqueline Maglonzo of MHS for Aunt Ev; and Se Yun Moon of SSHS for Viney.
The show was produced by Andrew Golden and directed by Harold Easton and Susan Fishman-Tudor.
Easton said it was a wonderful opportunity to work on the show, bringing his theater and television experience to the plate and taking into consideration the reactions of people with disabilities to increase awareness in the community about their issues.
He thanked his co-director, Fishman-Tudor, whose most notable work was with the characters of Annie and Helen. “I am also most appreciative of the intense individual work our Helen and Annie did on their own to bring their unique relationship to the stage.”
Easton added, “We at the MHS Dolphin Theatre hope that as our theatre grows, so will the relationship between this performance space and the Friends of the Arts.”
