SPRINGFIELD, Mich.–There are many kinds of miracles. Of course, there is the Christmas miracle that Christians celebrate this month. And perhaps connected to faith in that miracle was the miracle of Helen Keller, who overcame being deaf, mute and blind to live an exemplary life.

The play, The Miracle Worker, being performed at What A Do Theatre in Springfield, is an uplifting and inspiring play and production that should warm the cold December hearts of just about anyone.

The play is as much about Helen Keller (Grace Marengo) as it is about her incredible teacher, Annie Sullivan (Katherine Mumma), about whom the play is titled. It was Sullivan who brought a true learning structure to the adolescent Keller who had been merely pitied and coddled by her family until the arrival of Sullivan.

The Keller family is headed by the authoritarian, hard-edged Captain Keller (Joe Macleod) who always thinks he is the smartest one in the room, but gives in often to his loving wife, Kate (Madison Haywood) who knows just how to get her way. The Captain is especially hard on his son from a previous marriage, James (Christian Perez), who is mostly dismissive of his handicapped half-sister until he sees that Annie’s way may just get her somewhere besides the asylum that the family is discussing.

The Helen character is not easy for any actress despite not having to learn any lines. She is the center of most scenes, and the hard part is carrying that off without saying anything. Grace Marengo hits a homerun in this role. Her consistency throughout the play is as good as I have seen it done with this play, and it’s hard to take your eyes off of her. Mumma as Annie Sullivan manages the balance in this character, which is layered. She is worldly, but grew up in a horrible asylum herself–blind until she had a surgery that gave her sight. She can be saracstic, and shows the exasperation of the job at hand, as well as the hope she never relinquishes.

MacLeod does a very good job with Captain Keller, playing him so that we don’t write him off as a one-note overbearing father. He genuinely cares about his severely challenged daughter and wants what is best for her. Perez’s James, too, is handled well. He nicely manages the two sides of this out-upon eldest son. Haywood, too, earns props for so convincingly playing the Mother and the Captain’ wife despite being just  a senior in high school.

The set design and build, and props by Samantha Snow and Thomas Koehlerwork very well in the What A Do space, with different parts of the stage serving as the Keller dining room, the yard with water pump, the garden house, and on an elevated second level–Annie’s bedroom.

Directed by Randy Wolfe, The Miracle Worker is a different kind of miracle that we see when Scrooge gets turned around by the visiting spirits sent by Jacob Marley. But it is even more inspiring because the story is true. Helen Keller reclamation was a true miracle no matter what holiday you are celebrating this month.

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