The Miracle Worker

The Miracle Worker is a three-act play by William Gibson. It is based on Helen Keller's [1] autobiography The Story of My Life.

The original text

The play explores the relationship between Hellen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan, adapted from a television play Gibson had written in 1957. The play premiered on Broadway at the Playhouse Theatre on October 19, 1959, and opened in the West End , London in 1961. The 1962 film won multiple Oscars for author, director and cast.

Performance history in South Africa

1961: Produced by the Cockpit Players, opening at the Hofmeyr Theatre in January and going on a Southern African tour. Directed by Leonard Schach with Joyce Bradley, Fiona Fraser, Joan Gibson, Estelle Kohler, Reinet Maasdorp and Alan Prior. Decor was by Pamela Lewis.

1978: Performed in Afrikaans by PACT in the Breytenbach Theatre, directed by Leonard Schach with Diane Britz, Rika Sennett and Trix Pienaar. Translation by Pieter-Paul Fourie.

1979: Performed in Afrikaans by CAPAB in the Nico Malan Theatre, opening on 17 April, directed by William Eganwith Johan Botha, Brümilda van Rensburg, Marko van der Colff, Melanie-Ann Sher, Liz Dick, Allan Dyssel, Sandra Ferreira, Johan Esterhuizen, Neels Coetzee, Trix Pienaar, Amanda Strydom, Willem de la Querra. Lighting by John T. Baker. Translation by Pieter-Paul Fourie.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into Afrikaans as Die Wonderwerk, by Pieter-Paul Fourie. The text has never been published.

The text of another Afrikaans translation (by Johan Mocke) and also called Die Wonderwerk, is held by Dalro[2].

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Miracle_Worker_(play)

Inskip, 1977. p 123

Star 18 July 1978.

CAPAB theatre pamphlet, 1979.

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