A Hand to Lead the Way in Darkness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLqyKeMQfmY

"The Miracle Worker" by William Gibson (and particularly this UWSP production directed by Stephen Trovillion Smith), tells the true story of Helen Keller's struggles with blindness and deafness and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, who taught Keller the tool of language. 

Through the course of the play few forces work to Keller's advantage.  Keller's parents have all but given up trying to discipline her, letting their pity indulge her whims.  The Kellers hire Annie Sullivan, a first time governess, to help Helen.  However, the Kellers do not take to Sullivan's methods.  While Sullivan aims to make Helen independent, the rest of the family constantly capitulates to Helen's helplessness, impeding Helen from developing manners but especially communication.  While her parents, brother, aunt and Helen herself resist austerity, Sullivan acts as the only force on Earth preventing Helen from succumbing to a powerless, helpless life.  Sullivan's determination pays off.  

Much of this dreary journey reminds us of extreme misfortunes in life, but it also teaches us how to cope with them–and mold them into something useful.  Sullivan had once been blind before she met Keller; after she regained her sight she used her experience to her advantage by guiding someone as lost as she once was.  Having conquered her own adversity, she enabled Helen to put up a fight against hardship too.  Upon Sullivan's acquaintance of Helen, Sullivan means to teach Helen the sign for 'up'.  I felt a painful emotion in the simplicity of such a universal, multi-lingual sign -a sign that even poor Helen was unaware of.  It is as if to have language is to be a part of a large club, where you share jokes and ideas and even dreams; yet Helen wasn't invited.  This moment may have been overlooked to some, but to me it had so much dark, sad meaning.  The need to have this injustice rectified set up the purpose to see the story through. 

Despite the swelling pity evoked by the play, it also manages to instill hope.  Plays involving the cold side of reality offer ideas that everyone should revisit–especially when they start to think they have it hard. Plays such as this remind us not to take our abilities for granted, and that we should use our strength to lift others up.  As a wise uncle once said, "With great power comes great responsibility."  Whether witnessing misfortune is something you can endure or not, this play attempts to heal the wounds it encounters, and provide a positive outlook under seemingly insurmountable circumstances–and that is something we can all use.