Though the Keller family and Annie Sullivan are in constant conflict at the beginning of the play, they learn a great deal from each other by the end. Language, whether it is spoken, written, or signed, is depicted as the key to unlocking a world of possibilities for anyone, regardless of whether they have a disability.
It is a love letter to the teachers who never give up, even when their students seem beyond reach. The Miracle Worker dramatizes the true story of Helen Keller, a girl from Alabama who was blind and deaf, and Anne Sullivan, the woman who taught her language. The edition referenced in this guide is the Samuel French Acting Edition. Helen, underestimated at every turn, learns to unlock the world before her through the power of language, and of love. The play is significant in its centering of a real-life heroine with a disability. Most notable is the annual summer production performed at Helen Keller’s birthplace, and where she met Annie Sullivan: Ivy Green in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Gibson credits inspiration for the title to a quote by Mark Twain: “Helen is a miracle, and Miss Sullivan is the miracle-worker.” Since its debut, the play has been widely performed at regional and professional theaters alike. The show received five Tony Award nominations in 1960 and won four, including Best Play. The staged production premiered in New York City at the Playhouse Theatre in 1959.
The play follows a three-act structure and was adapted from Gibson’s 1957 Playhouse 90 teleplay. William Gibson’s drama The Miracle Worker chronicles the relationship between the real-life Helen Keller, a young girl from Alabama who was blind and deaf, and her teacher, the Irish, headstrong Annie Sullivan from Boston.
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