Cherry Hill East will present “The Miracle Worker” beginning on Dec. 2.
The story of one of the most well-known activists in American history will come to life on Cherry Hill High School East’s stage in early December.
Cherry Hill East Theatre is presenting its fall play, “The Miracle Worker,” beginning on Friday, Dec. 2. Two casts will perform the show on alternating nights, with the red cast taking the stage for two performances and the white cast performing on two nights.
“The Miracle Worker” is a play based on the life of Helen Keller, a deaf and blind speaker and author. Keller was the first deaf and blind person to earn a college degree in 1904.
The play focuses on Keller’s early childhood, where she was taught about language and communication by Annie Sullivan, who was also blind. Sullivan’s instruction helped to discipline Keller and pave the way for the many achievements she made in adulthood.
Most of the cast said while they may not have known the details about “The Miracle Worker,” they knew the story of Helen Keller.
“It’s become a classic American story,” said senior Jaclyn Orlando, playing the role of Annie Sullivan in the white cast. “Everyone knows who Helen Keller is. We learned about who Helen Keller is in preschool.”
“(Play director Tom) Weaver has been talking about this show for a couple of years now,” said senior Elizabeth Hallinan, playing the role of Kate Keller in the red cast. “I think most of us know the story of Helen Keller. Not until recently were we exposed to the play.”
Most of the cast describes the show as emotionally powerful. Early in the show, Keller is depicted as an undisciplined child and doesn’t heed Sullivan’s instruction. There are a number of emotional scenes in the play between the characters.
“This play’s incredibly emotional,” said senior Justin Accardi, playing the role of Captain Arthur Keller in the red cast. “This play has more pauses and more beats than any play I’ve been in.”
“With this play, there’s going to be certain scenes where the audience will be taken aback,” Hallinan added.
Sophomores Hannah Lehrfeld and Leah Levin have perhaps the most difficult part in the show as they will play the lead role of Helen Keller. Depicting a character who can’t see or hear forces Lehrfeld and Levin to think outside the box in a number of scenes.
“We don’t have words to express ourselves,” Lehrfeld said. “The only way we can get what we want to get across is through our actions and our facial expressions.”
“There’s a lot of blocking and a lot of step-by-step actions we have to do,” Levin said.
Orlando said many of the scenes between Keller and Sullivan are particularly difficult to get a hang of in rehearsals.
“The blocking is very intricate, especially between Annie and Helen,” she said.
Harrison Smith, playing the role of Captain Arthur Keller in the white cast, feels this year’s show will have a huge impact on the audience. While past Cherry Hill East fall plays such as “The Tempest” took place in fictional settings, Smith said he likes how “The Miracle Worker” stays true to Keller’s real story.
“There’s a beauty in how this is all a real event,” Smith said. “It’s a documentary in front of your eyes.”
Hallinan feels there’s a lesson all audience members can take away from “The Miracle Worker.”
“It’s such an inspiring show,” she said. “Among other things, I hope the audience will take away that they can do what other people have never done before.”
“The Miracle Worker” will be performed on Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. each night. Tickets go on sale on Nov. 28 and are $12 per person. To purchase tickets, visit www.chetheatre.com or call the box office at (856) 424–2222 ext. 2019.
