February 2, 2006

Camelot tells the classic tale of a blind girl’s awakening to the world in …

‘The Miracle Worker’

Camelot opens its 2006 season with William Gibson’s Tony Award Winning play, “The Miracle Worker.” This stirring dramatization of the story of Helen Keller is one of the most successful and warmly admired plays of the modern stage. Rendered blind and mute as a baby by rheumatic fever, nobody knows what Helen’s fate might have been had her teacher not been Annie Sullivan, an Irish girl who had been born legally blind. Only Annie realizes that there is a mind waiting to be rescued from that dark, tortured silence that was Helen’s existence. But Annie’s success with Helen comes only after some of the most turbulent, violent and emotion-packed scenes ever presented on the stage. In “The Story of My Life,” published in 1902,” Helen Keller said this in describing her feelings just before Anne Sullivan came to teach her: “Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and sounding-line, and you waited with beating heart for something to happen? I was like that ship before my education began, only I was without compass or sounding-line, and had no way of knowing how near the harbor was. “Light! Give me light!” was the wordless cry of my soul, and the light of love shone on me in that very hour.”

“The Miracle Worker” is directed by Camelot Theatre Managing Director Doug Warner, and promises to be an evening of incredibly moving dramatic entertainment for the whole family. Says Warner: “This is a story of epic proportions," explains Warner. "When the miracle takes place in Act Two, not only is Helen Keller changed in that moment, but the audience is changed with the realization that all of mankind was forever effected by the difference Annie Sullivan made in Helen Keller’s life. This is spiritual theater at its very finest." The starring role of Annie Sullivan will be played by Camelot favorite Renée Hewitt. An actress from the Bay Area, Hewitt was most recently seen at Camelot as Guenevere in “Camelot.” Other Camelot appearances include “Enchanted April,” “Master Class,” “Born Yesterday,” “Carnival,” and “Children of Eden.” Bay Area performances include: “Great America,” “Beach Blanket Babylon’s 20th Extravaganza” and Germaine in “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” Renée also does commercial and voiceover work locally as well as teaching acting and voice. Alternating in the role of Helen will be Taylor Kenney and Meghan McCandless.

A student at McLoughlin Middle School, Kenney has appeared in Camelot Theatre’s productions of “Wait Until Dark” as Gloria, “Carnival” as the puppet Horrible Henry, and as an orphan in “Oliver.” This summer, Taylor attended the Perry Mansfield Performing Arts School in Colorado. 12 year old Megan McCandless has appeared in four MCT musicals, Rogue Opera’s “Hansel & Gretel,” Charlotte in “Charlotte’s Web,” Grace in the film “Indigo,” Hanna in “Solomon’s Blade” at the 2004 Ashland New Plays Festival, and appeared as Rebecca in “Our Town” and Meg in “The Boy Who Talked to Whales” at OSW.

In the role of Captain Keller is actor, director and producer Charles Cherry. Cherry appeared last year in "Halloween Eve with Edgar Allan Poe" at Camelot Theatre and in Rogue Ballet’s "The Nutcracker" at the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater

The role of Kate, Helen’s mother, will be played by Jessica Vinyard. “The Miracle Worker is Vineyard’s second production with Camelot Theatre, having appeared as Lady Anne in last season’s sold-out production of Camelot. She is also privileged to be the 2006 season ticket sponsor through her business, The Phoenix Day Spa & Salon in Ashland. June Lambrechtsen, Aunt Ev, was seen as Miss Prism, in The Bangkok Community Theatre’s production of "The Importance of Being Earnest.” Other plays have included "Don’t Drink the Water,” "Grease,” "The Man for All Seasons,” "Summer and Smoke.” Appearing in the role of Helen’s brother, James, is former ArtAttack Theatre Ensemble member Eric Turner. Turner’s appearances with ArtAttack include “Jeffrey,” “The Real Inspector Hound,” “Wonder of the World,” “Closer,” “Ancient History,” and “Kimberly Akimbo.” The role of Anagnow will be played by John Simutis. Simutis’ roles at Camelot include Sir Sagramore in “Camelot,” Ham in “Children of Eden,” and an MP in “Judgement at Nuremburg,” John studied acting at the University of Evansville, Ind. Others in the cast of 20 include Adrianne Box, Bethany Bray, Hanna Marie Jantzi, Jennifer Jensen, Myan McQueen, McKenna Miller, Megan Neufeld, Jazzmin Parker, Laurance Parker, Megan Rapp, Andrew Rogers and Josette Saydah.

Costume design is by Camelot’s resident designer Emily Ehrlich Inget. Set design is by Karl Beckman and lighting design by Bart Grady. Bob Herried is the stage manger.

“The Miracle Worker” opens Friday, Feb. 3, and runs through March 5. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., with a special pay-what-you-can performance on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.

Reservations are recommended. Tickets are $10 for previews. All other regular performances are $15 for students and seniors and $17 for Adults. Tickets are available through the Camelot box office, located at the corner of Talent Avenue and Main Street in Talent.

To reserve tickets, call the Camelot Theatre Company Box Office at 535-5250. Box Office hours are 1 to 5 p.m. except Tuesdays and Sundays and one hour before show times.