MARSHALL, Mich.–It’s a story we’re all familiar with—in no small part because of this play and the movie that was made from it. The Miracle Worker by William Gibson tells the story of Helen Keller, a blind and deaf girl, who was brought out of her isolation through the tutoring of Annie Sullivan.

The Great Escape is inaugurating their new space in downtown Marshall with this show. They take advantage of a much larger space for their stage to create multiple rooms and an outdoor space. The stage (no set or scenic designer is credited in the program) is built in layers with plenty of doors, but no walls. It allows Director Kim Forde to stage some strong stage pictures with scenes moving instantly between characters.

This Tony-award winning script was written in the late 1950s and it has all the structure of a play of that era—two intermissions, a strict chronological telling with only some flashbacks to Annie’s younger days. It also has a cast of 15 where if it were written today, it would probably use only five or fewer. But this is an age of realism and every needed character is performed by a different actor.

Seventeen-year-old Rachel Doane has the challenging part of portraying a blind and deaf seven-year-old. She has no lines, but easily one of the most demanding parts. She is constantly in character, even when the lights are out and she’s being led from the stage for the next scene.

Doane is believable as a blind and deaf character and her movement is incredible—whether she is calmly playing with yarn or throwing a full-fledged temper tantrum that puts the entire family under her control. In what has got to be a challenging thing for an actor to do—she never makes eye contact with anyone.

Sarah Stiner does a splendid job as Annie Sullivan. She is young and determined, confident in her role, even when others are telling her she’s doing everything wrong. She’s got an aura about her—and Stiner portrays this well. She has her insecurities, but they driver her on.

Stiner and Doane together have great chemistry and they play well off each other. Even when they are fighting, there is a connection between them, a bond that ultimately leads the story to its climax.

Max Hardy and Alix Curnow play Captain and Kate Keller respectively. They create highly sympathetic characters even when they stubbornly persist in doing things that cause harm rather than good to Helen. Hardy gives the Captain a rough edge, a Southern gentleman who is more concerned with form than actual manners. Meanwhile, Curnow finds the Southern belle in Kate and lends her a strength and determination.

While the story was sometimes a distraction from the main plot line, Asher Wertheimer portrayed the bitter step-son quite well. The arguments between him and his father were heartbreaking at times and the play left them unresolved, but Wertheimer added layers to his character that showed up disruptive the presence of a younger, “impaired” sister could have on a family.

There were times when the Southern accents were hard to understand and important words were lost. However, the actors did do a very good job of moving in a way that suggested the late 1800s in the South.

Costumer Robin Kingsbury did an excellent job of recreating the 1880s and communicating the social status of each character.

Forde made an old script work very well, keeping the time between scenes short while allowing time for characters to communicate in silence, something especially important in the scenes between Helen and Annie. She kept things tight and brought out strong performances in all the actors.

“The Miracle Worker” is a very traditional show, but it tells of a miracle that is just as impressive and enlightening today as it was back in the 1800s when the miracle first occurred.

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