The Miracle Worker
at Sunny Hills High School

Reviewed on February 14, 2019

Emily Freeborn
Santa Margarita Catholic
Submitted for publication to OC Register

Sunny Hills's "The Miracle Worker" beautifully communicates a heartfelt story
written by Emily Freeborn, a sophomore at Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Helen Keller's expression becomes tranquil as she focuses on the water pouring over her head, lost in thought. She decisively pulls the hand of her teacher, Annie Sullivan, under the water as well. At last, she reminisces it, "wawa." Teary eyed, Sullivan pulls Helen's hand to her face, allowing her to feel her radiant smile, which quickly spreads across Helen's face as well.

Sunny Hills's "The Miracle Worker" tells the moving tale of deaf and blind Helen Keller as she learns American Sign Language (ASL). Helen's condition makes it difficult for her to connect with her surroundings and communicate with her family, leaving her prone to outrageous tantrums. Through stern lessons and endless faith in her, Helen's teacher Annie Sullivan shows her how to communicate and connect with the world around her.

Utilizing passionate expressions and energetic gestures, Rachel Kim makes Helen's inner thoughts and emotions perfectly clear. Collapsing and violently pounding the floor as she screams, Kim exposes how the pity of others has made Helen spoiled. But when she finally unlocks the ability to communicate, her wild nature fades to childish joy as she bounds across the stage in ecstasy.

Sullivan (Gillian Urban) initially holds herself with calm and composure, but Helen's strong-willed nature brings out her fierce side. Every quarrel between the two is an aggressive battle, Kim savagely tackling and biting her and Urban retaliating with a powerful slap. Unlike Helen's parents, Urban confronts her with stern discipline, reprimanding her by pulling Helen's hand to feel her exaggerated frown.

As Kate Keller, Helen's mother, Dalyn Ibarra nurtures Helen as though she were a toddler. When Helen becomes frustrated, Ibarra gently holds her in a strong embrace and affectionately strokes her hair. Ibarra's eyes grow teary as she despairingly glances heavenwards, expressing Kate's longing to communicate with her daughter.

Rachel Kim's beautiful program design splendidly presents the miraculous journey Helen undergoes to discover communication. In the artwork, Helen extends her hand to receive a water droplet emblazoned with symbols for deafness and blindness, representative of how remembering the feeling of water gave her the gift of communication which her condition had taken from her.

Sunny Hills's poignant rendition of "The Miracle Worker" movingly reveals the value of communication.

Krista Eliot
El Dorado
Submitted for publication to OC Facebook

Sunny Hills "A Miracle Worker" is a beautiful sight to see
written by Krista Eliot, a senior at El Dorado High School

The story of a young girl who contracted an illness which made her unable to see or hear is well know across the nation. But what is less known about young Helen Keller is the woman who persevered to teach her through even the hardest of times. Combined with on point acting and well thought out tech elements, "A Miracle Worker" provides a realistic look on what it was like to teach a young deaf and blind girl named Helen Keller.

Rachel Kim shines as the young Helen Keller. She tackles the difficult character with great ease by committing fully to Helens actions. Kim is always engaged, always a part of the scene even if it doesn't fully revolve around Helen. Whether it be throwing a tantrum or actually trying hard to understand what she is learning, the character of Helen never falters thanks to Kim's constant dedication every time she enters the stage.

The true "Miracle Worker" in the show is Helens more than dedicated teacher, Annie Sullivan, portrayed by Gillian Urban. Urban tells the honest story of Annie and is able to transition between frustration with Helens actions, despair at her past life, and hope for the future of the Keller family with ease. Even in a scene with very little dialogue, such as the scene where Annie and Helen get into a fight over the way Helen eats, Urban is in the moment, ready to react to anything that is thrown her way (literally and figuratively).

A stand out tech element of the performance is publicity, done by Rachel Kim. The items created reflect the dedication and the thought that went into this particular tech department. Posters of the two casts are elegantly made with Annie and Helen as the center and a realistic looking flowery border capturing the time period. The shirts for the performance are also a fantastic reflection of the show itself, with the two main characters outlined by a water droplet, a significant metaphor in the story.

With strong actors and stand out tech elements, Sunny Hills "A Miracle Worker" teaches a valuable lesson about how far dedication and love for someone can go.

Jessica Roch
Aliso Niguel
Submitted for publication to OC Facebook

Sunny Hills High School's Production of The Miracle Worker
written by Jessica Roch, a sophomore at Aliso Niguel High School

This riveting biographical story of Helen Keller is wonderfully presented by Sunny Hills High School's Camelot Theatre Company. This three act play portrays the teachings and consistent lessons Helen had to go through as a child to learn proper etiquette and how to communicate as she is blind, deaf, and mute. Through many hardships and tenseness Annie Sullivan, Helen's teacher, helps Helen understand there is a whole world around her which she can find her voice in.

Being disabled of most of her senses, Rachel Kim playing Helen Keller, wonderfully portrayed the agitation and intricacy of Helen Keller's situation. In the dining room, Kim childishly grabs the food from her family's dishes and mischievously smiles as she blankly looks past everybody. As the focus is not on her or the Kellers are speaking Kim, continues on with her character and curiously searches her surrounding for items to touch. When she begins to discover what water is Kim slowly feels the water and puts together with a profound and joyous look on her face as she says"wa-wa".

Being the new teacher of Helen Keller, Annie Sullivan played by Gillian Urban, strictly pushes Helen around. When Helen is being taught proper dining table manners, Urban grabs and holds down Helen with such sternness and a determined look upon her face. Urban furiously grasps all of the spoons and claps Helen's hands with the utensils as she forcefully feeds Helen. When Helen is sleeping within the garden house, Urban- although very strict and stern with her- motherly sings her to sleep as she softly places a blanket on her.

Within this production the costumes wonderfully illustrate the time period and the upper classes of the Keller family. Captain Keller wears a proper white and black suit as Aunt Ev wears a high neck dark green dress with black heels. Interestingly, Helen wears a loose floral dress with a apron on top, but as she grows and becomes more civilized she slowly loses the apron and begins to wear more brighter, proper dresses. In their household, all of the peasants wear worn down, loose dresses of a similar color palette

Camelot Theatre Company amazingly performs The Miracle Worker with such strong emotion and energy.