Miracle Worker To Open At Bay Street

There are some works of literature that nearly every person educated in the United States has read, or at least has been assigned to read, at some point in school. Those books with universal appeal and experience include “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “The Miracle Worker” to name just two.

And while reading is one of the cornerstones of a basic education, hands-on learning can also be a very effective teaching tool, especially when it is used to bring literature to life—which is the premise behind Bay Street Theatre’s curriculum-based “Literature LIVE” performance series for middle school-aged students. The series, which is meant to bring “the power of the word from the page to the stage,” according to Bay Street’s website, is now in its second year.

“The Diary of Anne Frank” kicked off the “Literature LIVE” series last year. This month, a production of “The Miracle Worker,” directed by Bay Street’s artistic director Murphy Davis, will be staged.

The play is based on the life of Helen Keller, a real life girl who lived in the 1800s and who was considered to be “deaf, dumb and blind,” in the parlance of the day, and her teacher Annie Sullivan. Written by William Gibson, the play is widely considered to be an inspirational work about a person’s ability to triumph over tragedy.

According to Mr. Davis, the performance-based educational program at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor contains many active components, which makes for a more compelling and dramatic learning environment than passive reading alone.

“When you get to see live people trying to go through their struggles right in front of you, it’s a more visceral experience,” he said. “In terms of teaching, it’s one of the strongest approaches.”

Playing the lead in “The Miracle Worker” is Hampton Bays Middle School seventh-grader Lily Spellman, 11, who said during an interview last week that she was assigned to read a short version of the story of Helen Keller in the third grade at Quogue Elementary School. She then read the full-length play in the fifth grade, under the direction of her mom, Kimberly Charos, who was her teacher at the time. And though she’s also seen the movie version with Patty Duke in the starring role, the young actor said that she didn’t want to overprepare for her portrayal of Ms. Keller.

“I try to make Helen a little different, add a little bit of myself into the character,” she said.

Ms. Spellman, who lives in Hampton Bays with her mother, and father Ernie Spellman, said that the role of Helen is most challenging because she has full use of all her senses, though her character does not.

“I sort of live Helen when I’m on the stage but it’s pretty challenging because I can see and hear,” she said. “I try to put truth into my acting ... I’m not allowed to close my eyes for the role, I just have to stare into empty space.”

The young actor, who will earn her equity card during this professionally-staged version of the play, has plenty of experience for someone so young. She recently participated in the Stages Children’s Theater Workshop production of “Frankenstein Follies” at Bay Street and has also played the role of Brigitta in “The Sound of Music” at the North Fork Community Theatre in Mattituck and the role of Oliver in “Oliver Twist” at Bay Street. She also appeared as an extra in the film “The Nanny Diaries” and was a children’s clothing model for the Mini Boden Clothing Catalog.

But even though Ms. Spellman is on the verge of becoming a professional actor, she’s still a kid at heart and likes to do the things that kids her age do—things that her character wouldn’t have been able to do if not for her teacher.

“I sing a lot. I go out with my friends a lot. We like to play kick the can and walk around town,” she said, adding that she also enjoys going shopping with her mother.

Relating the differences between her life and the life of Helen, Ms. Spellman said that she is appreciative of the things that she had earlier taken for granted.

“My favorite part of the play would probably be where Annie Sullivan is trying to get me to eat with a knife and fork. There’s a lot of action in that scene,” she said. “It’s amazing to think about the physical challenges she had and this play really shows it. There’s a lot of physical action on the stage.”

Commenting on “Literature LIVE,” Mr. Davis explained why he thinks that live theater resonates with an audience. He said that though students will come away from a performance with a better understanding of literature, it’s not just about the story told on stage, but also the experience of seeing the lives and struggles of others played out live that will make a positive impact on the children who attend.

“I’m obviously a great proponent in the power of theater. One of the things we like to focus on within the productions that we do is tolerance—accepting all the various kinds of people and the lifestyles and situations that go on in the world and with these kids’ lives,” he said. “By seeing this, the children can learn these people are different but also the same, we all have challenges in our lives. Theatre is my genre, my way of teaching that.”

“The Miracle Worker,” though part of the “Literature LIVE” educational series at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, is open to all audiences. Daytime performances will be held from Monday, November 8, through Friday, November 12, and again Monday, November 15, through Friday, November 19. Evening performances will be held on Fridays, November 12 and 19, and Saturdays, November 13 and 20, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for children and $15 for adults. For reservations, call 725-9500 or visit baystreet.org.