The Miracle Worker: revival of William Gibson's drama may play Broadway in Feb

An Equity casting notice reveals that a Broadway revival of William Gibson's drama The Miracle Worker is expectd to play Broadway in Feb 2010, directed by Kate Whoriskey and produced by David Richenthal.

The Miracle Worker is set in Alabama in the 1880's and tells the real life story of Helen Keller, a girl who at a very young age is left blind, deaf and dumb after surviving an attack of scarlett fever. Unable to communicate with the world the girlsuffers fits of frustration which manifests itself in violent tantrums.

Her desperate parents seek help from the Perkins Institute' who send Annie Sullivan, a a visually impaired young woman, to tutor Helen. Through kindness, persistence and forcefull stubborness, Annie finally breaks through the barriers that seperate the frustrated Helen from the rest of the world and teachers the girl a method by which she can communicate with the people around her.

The original Broadway production of The Miracle Worker played from 19 Oct 1959 - 1 Jul 1961 at the Playhouse Theatre. That production, directed by Arthur Penn, starred Anne Bancroft as 'Annie Sullivan' and Patty Duke as 'Helen Keller.' The production won four 1960 Tony Awards: Best Play; Best Director: Best Actress in a Play (Anne Bancroft) and Best Stage Technician (John Walters).

The play was made into a succesful 1962 movie - also directed by Arthur Penn and starring Anne Bancroft as 'Annie Sullivan.' The movie on won two Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Anne Bancroft) and Best actress in a supporting role (Patty Duke.)

The leading roles of 'Annie Sullivan' and 'Helen Keller' have already been cast according to the casting notice.

Director Kate Whoriskey will make her Broadway debut. Whoriskey recently directed the highly praised Manhattan Theatre Club production of drama Lynn Nottage's 'Ruined' by Lynn Nottage, which ran an extended run Off-Broadway earlier this year. Other Off-Broadway credits include: 'The Piano Teacher' by Julia Cho at the Vineyard Theatre, 'Last Tree in Antartica' by Julia Cho at Ensemble Studio Theatre, the world premiere of 'Fabulation' by Lynn Nottage at Playwrights Horizons and 'Massacre' by Jose Rivera at the Labyrinth Theatre Company of which she is a member.

Playwright William Gibson's (13 Nov 1914 - 25 Nov 2008) plays include 'Golda's Balcony,' 'Raggedy Ann,' 'Monday After the Miracle' (a sequel to 'The Miracle Worker'), 'A Cry of Players,' 'Golden Boy' and 'Two for the Seesaw' which have all been produced on Broadway.