Vernon actors stage ‘The Miracle Worker'

Vernon — On Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13 and 14 the curtain will rise on Vernon Township High School’s production of William Gibson’s award-winning play “The Miracle Worker.” Set in Alabama in the 1880s, the play tells the true life story of Helen Keller, a girl who, at a very young age, is left blind, deaf and dumb after surviving an attack of scarlet fever. Unable to communicate with the world, she suffers fits of frustration, which manifest in violent tantrums. Her desperate parents seek help from the Perkins Institute, which sends Annie Sullivan, a visually impaired young woman, to tutor Helen. Through persistence and forceful stubbornness, Sullivan finally breaks through the barriers that separate the frustrated Helen from the rest of the world and teaches her a method by which she can communicate with those around her. The play embodies both a clash of wills and a clash of cultures, providing strong dramatic conflicts and vivid emotional moments. The Vernon cast includes Shanna Lander as Helen Keller, Chelsea Imbimbo as Annie Sullivan, Alexa Ross as Kate Keller and Brandon O’Dell as Captain Keller. Rounding out the cast is David Grice as James Keller, Katie Glowacki as Aunt Ev and Katie Flynn as Viney. Jonathan Goritski portrays Mr. Anagnos and Andrew Kraus appears as a country doctor. Also in the cast are Amanda Losco, Rebecca Blomgren, Brielle Coyne, Megan Healey, Megan Louge and Brianna O’Loughlin. The play is directed by Vernon High teacher Barri Weinstein.

If you go
Tickets are $9 in advance and
$10 at the door.
For reservations call 973-764-5920.
Curtain time is at 7:30 p.m. for both performances.