Theatre Bristol
proudly presents
The Miracle Worker
School Performances:
March 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, & 12, 2004 at 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.
Public Performances: March 6, 12 & 13 at 8:00 p.m. & March
14 at 2:30 p.m.
Adults $15, Seniors/Students $12, Children (under 12) $8
All performances of are at Theatre Bristol’s ARTspace,
limited seating. One and a half hours long.
Dear Educator:
We are excited that you have
chosen Theatre Bristol’s production of The Miracle Worker
as part of your curriculum. This story of hope and perseverance
is a must for every person’s “Good Book” list.
The story also celebrates the relationship between teacher and
student.
Enclosed are numerous materials to facilitate understanding and
initiate responses from your students in relation to the play
The Miracle Worker. The information and activities provided
can be used to enhance curriculum standards in many subjects.
We have students from diverse age groups, ranging from 2nd to
12th grades attending the show. You know best the needs and abilities
of your students. Please feel free to adapt the suggested materials
for discussion or activities with your students. You are invited
to make copies of the enclosed materials for other teachers as
well as your students. We hope you will enjoy The Miracle Worker.
Arts Advocacy Works
- Support the Arts! Easy ways you can support the Arts
Have your class write your
Legislators. Draw and send them pictures of your field trip!
Invite your local elected officials to attend a field trip with
your class. Let them see how much fun it is to support the Arts!
Buy a specialty license plate in Tennessee! Purchasing a license
plate provides funding and support for arts activities in your
own community through the grant programs offered by the Tennessee
Arts Commission.
Show Contributors:
Wellmont Health System
Highlands Physicians for Women
Gifts Donated in memory of Gus King and Capt. Phyllis Warren, USN (Ret.)
The Blue Stocking Club of Bristol Virginia-Tennessee
Media Sponsors:
Bristol Herald Courier
Bristol Broadcasting
A Brief Biography of Anne
Sullivan
Anne Sullivan was born to Irish immigrant parents in April 1866
in Feeding Hills, MA. Her father had a terrible temper. Her mother
was a caring woman who died of tuberculosis when Anne was eight
leaving Anne to care for her father. Throughout her youth Anne’s
eyes continued to grow weaker.
Eventually Anne could no longer take care of her father. She and
her brother Jimmie were transferred to the state alms house in
Tewksbury on February 22, 1876. Tuberculosis claimed Jimmie's
life, and Anne was left alone. Anne received her freedom when
she asked if she could attend school. She entered the Perkins
Institute for the Blind on October 7, 1880. Several operations
allowed Anne to regain some of her sight which helped her further
her education. In 1886 Anne graduated from high school as valedictorian.
On March 3, 1887, Anne arrived in Tuscumbia, Alabama after a long
train ride from Boston. She was met at the station by Mrs. Kate
Keller, mother of Helen Keller. Helen had been deaf and blind
since the age of nineteen months. Anne was 21 years old with bad
eyesight made worse by her exhausting trip. Anne struggled to
teach Helen language by spelling constantly into Helen's hand.
Eventually the teacher broke through to the student and learning
began.
Anne’s life for the next 26 years was filled with lectures,
travel, meetings and operations. In 1924 she began working for
the American Foundation for the Blind as a fundraiser and advocate.
In 1927 Nella Braddy began writing Anne’s autobiography,
Anne Sullivan Macy, which was published in 1923. In 1932 Anne
received an honorary degree from Temple University.
On October 20, 1936, Anne Mansfield Sullivan Macy died in Forest
Hill, NY. She was 70 years old. A fountain was dedicated in memory
of Anne Sullivan at Radcliffe College in June 1960. Helen Keller
said only one word at the dedication, “Water.”
A Brief Biography of Helen
Keller
Helen Adams Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama on June 27,
1880. When she was 19 months old, she was left deaf and blind
after an acute childhood illness. In March of 1887, at the age
of seven, she began her special education when Anne Mansfield
Sullivan of the Perkins Institute for the Blind was hired to teach
Helen. On April 5, 1887, a miracle occurred after only one month
of study. Anne was spelling w - a - t - e - r into Helen's hand
when Helen suddenly made the connection with water from the household
pump. Helen learned 30 words by the end of that day, and her fire
for learning had been ignited.
She eventually learned to read with the Braille system and to
write with a specially constructed typewriter. She graduated with
honors from Radcliffe College in 1904, the first blind-deaf person
in history to graduate from college. While at Radcliffe, she published
The Story of My Life. Helen spent much of her life traveling and
giving lectures which focused on women’s rights and how to
help the blind and deaf. She worked to make Braille the standard
form of printed communication for the blind. Helen died on June
1, 1968 in Westport, CT.
Her writings include The Story of My Life (1902), The World I
Live In (1908), Out of the Dark (1913), Midstream-My Later Life
(1930), Let Us Have Faith (1940), Teacher: Anne Sullivan Macy
(1955), and The Open Door (1957).
Quotes from Helen Keller:
“Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world
straight in the eye.”
“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my
chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and
noble.”
Pre-Show Activities
Discussion Questions
à Can you imagine how
you would feel if you were deaf since birth?
à How do you react to someone who is deaf?
à Through which of your senses do you gather more information?
From your sense of hearing or sight? Which sense is more important
to you? Why?
à If you had a visual impairment and went to a party how
would you find a group of people you wanted to talk to? How would
you recognize them if you saw them again? Answer these same questions
as if you were deaf.
à Do you know someone with a disability? How does that
disability affect them? How do they compensate emotionally and
physically?
à If you lost one of your senses, which one would you choose
to lose? Why? How would this affect your life? How would you compensate
for the loss?
Writing Projects
à Write down your definition of perseverance. Now read
the dictionary definition. Paraphrase it and write it in your
own words. Name a person you know, famous or not, who has persevered
to succeed in life. Write their story and explain how they fit
the definition.
à Many people with disabilities face discrimination. Describe
an instance when you were discriminated against because of your
race, gender, age, friends, physical appearance, grades. Describe
how it made you feel. What did you do about it?
à Research and discover the major events of the Civil War.
Create a time line of the events making sure to highlight and
write about the major turning points. Share your research with
your class.
à Research Helen Keller or Anne Sullivan’s life and
create a similar time line.
à Trace Anne Sullivan’s travels from Boston to Alabama.
Approximately how far did she travel? What major cities might
she have gone through?
à Travel by railroad was different in the 1880s from what
we have now. Research and report on changes in railway travel.
à Research Women’s Rights. How have Women’s Rights
changed since the 1880s? How could Anne Sullivan be seen as a
pioneer for Women’s Rights?
The United States in the
1880’s
In 1864, after the Civil War, the United States passed the Wade-Davis
Bill which placed Reconstruction of the South in the hands of
the Congress. Reconstruction in the South after the Civil War
was more than a re-establishment of political programs. It included
rebuilding Southern society, so that it was once again part of
the United States of America.
The South after the Civil War was devastated. Many of its men
never came home from the war, and the ones that did were not all
able-bodied. Their homes were destroyed or in ruins, and their
families were so poor that many had resorted to begging for food
and shelter. The few Southern factories had been destroyed and
the railroads were badly in need of repair. Fire had gutted major
Southern cities such as Atlanta, Columbia, Mobile, & Richmond.
The land was badly ravaged, and society as a whole was in turmoil.
The Battle of Vicksburg
(March 29-July 4, 1863)
During the Civil War, Vicksburg was a city that defined defiance.
Located on the Mississippi River, Vicksburg’s batteries prevented
any Union movement up or Down the Mississippi. As much as it was
a hindrance to the Union, Vicksburg was a significant port for
the Confederacy. Vicksburg controlled the Mississippi and guaranteed
that the Confederacy was able to replenish troops with valuable
reinforcements and supplies.
Since November 1862, General Grant had been trying to capture
Vicksburg. Finally, after 47 days the Confederates gave up on
July 4, 1863.
Other Types of Communication
Hands-on Signing.
Hands-on Signing - used by British Sign Language users whose vision
no longer allows them to see sign language and they therefore
'feel' sign language by resting their hands on the communicator's
hand.
Sign Language
Sign Language - some deafblind people were deaf from birth and
became blind as teen-agers or adults. They prefer the sign language
used by deaf people. Instead of watching the hands and arms of
friends, they touch the hands of the person making the signs to
learn what is being said.
Tadoma
Tadoma - tactile lipreading (or tactile speech reading). The Tadoma
user feels the vibrations of the throat and face and jaw positions
of the speaker as he/she speaks. Unfortunately, this requires
years of training and practice and can be slow.
Visual Frame Signing
Visual Frame Signing - a way of modifying and using sign language
in a restricted space to suit the visual needs of the individual
receiving it.
Other types of communication
taken from the deafblind alphabet website - www.deafblind.com.
Character Identification
Write the name of each character described in the blanks provided. Then use the letters in the brackets in the corresponding blanks at the bottom of the page to spell out the answer to the question.
He was in the Army during the
Civil War.
_ [_] _ [_] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
6 2
She had surgery on her eyes
to help her see
_ _ _ _ [_] _ _ [_]_ _ _ _
9 7
She gets the buttons pulled
off her dress.
_ [_] _ _ _ _
12
She uses candy to calm her
daughter.
_ [_] [_] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3 4
No one acknowledges his opinion.
_ _ _ _ [_] _ _ _ _ _ _
1
He plays the game in the garden
home.
_ [_] _ _ _
5
She likes to start food fights.
[_] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10
She cooks great food.
_ _ _ [_] _
14
This doctor ran the Perkins
Institution fir the Blind.
_ _ _ _ _ [_] [_]
11 13
She likes to operate on paper
dolls.
[_] _ _ _ _ _
8
Where did Anne grow up as a child?
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Vocabulary Words From The Miracle Worker
asylum - a hospital for mentally
incompetent or unbalanced persons
aversion - a feeling of intense dislike
bedstead - the framework of a bed
broach - bring up a topic for discussion
chivalrous - having the qualities of gallantry
contention - a point asserted as a part of an argument
disinter - to exhume; to bring something hidden to light
epileptic - a person having epilepsy: epilepsy – a chronic
disease of the nervous system
frivolous - not serious
governess - a woman entrusted with the care and supervision of
a child in a private home
hireling - a person who works for money
imp - one who is playfully mischievous
impertinent - improperly forward or bold
impudence - disrespect or discourtesy
ineffectual - producing no result or effect
interminable - endless or seemingly endless
obstinate - stubborn and unwilling to yield
oculist - a medical doctor specializing in the treatment of diseases
of the eye
quack - a person posing as a knowledgeable doctor who is a fake
scuttled - moved rapidly
siege - the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified
place to isolate it while continuing to attack
tantrum - a display of bad temper
treason - an act of deliberate betrayal
tyrant - a dictator or dictatorial person
whim - a sudden and/or random desire
Write a sentence using each of the vocabulary words.
Have your students get in a group and have one student start a story with one or more of the words and then have each student add to the story using other vocabulary words.
Post-Show Activities
Discussion Questions
¨ In what ways do the characters of The Miracle Worker
attempt to deal with Helen’s disability? What ways are most
effective? Why? Which ways are least effective? Why?
¨ Describe the school in Boston. How does it differ from your school?
¨ Which character in the play is most like you? Why?
¨ Compare and contrast Jimmie & Captain Keller. How are they similar? How are they different?
¨ Compare and contrast Helen with Anne’s other students.
¨ Jimmie compares Anne’s struggles with Helen to the Battle of Vicksburg. Compare and contrast the play to the battle. Is Jimmie correct or incorrect in his comparison? Why?
¨ Jimmie refers to Anne as “the General.” What does he imply about Anne by calling her “the General?” What does he imply about his father? Discuss military ranking.
¨ Describe the ways in which Helen was able to discover and explore her world. How do these differ from how you experience your world?
¨ Discuss how Helen expresses
her emotions. How do her expressions differ from your expressions
of emotion? Are her expressions effective? Why or why not?
Other Resources and Great Websites
American Foundation for the
Blind
http://www.afb.org
The official website or the foundation, great resources and photos
of Helen Keller.
Holocaust Memorial Center
http://holocaustcenter.com
Go to the “Burning of the Books” page. Helen Keller’s
books were destroyed by the Nazis during WWII.
American Sign Language Dictionary
Online
http://dww.deafworldweb.org
Viterbo
http://www.viterbo.edu
Offers Braille study lesson plan for different grades. Great links
to other sites.
Lesson Planet
http://www.lessonplanet.com
Offers lesson plans by grade and so much more.
MS State – Anne Sullivan
Macy & Helen Keller
http://www2.msstate.edu/~bkb1/educator.html
There is a history of Anne and Helen but better yet it has wonderful
links to Anne Sullivan and a time line of Helen Keller.
The Deaf/Blind Alphabet
http://deafblind.com
Shows the deaf/blind alphabet and also explains other communication
methods for people without vision or hearing.
BRAILLE ALPHABET
Braille is a code made from six dots arranged in different patterns which stand for different letters of the alphabet. The dots are raised on the page so the blind person may feel the bumps with the fingers. They read by touch!
Louis Braille had been blind since he was three years old. When he was 15 years old in 1824, he invented the Braille system. He had learned that a French army officer was using a code punched in cardboard to send and receive messages from his soldiers. That was the idea that began Louis' system of Braille.
Blind people have to use two hands to read. The right hand feels the dots to read the message. The left hand finds where the next line begins.
Using the attached Braille alphabet, you can make your own Braille words to read.
You will need a piece of cardboard, an unbent paper clip or a pushpin, tape and a copy of the Braille alphabet that you trace. Pick out the letters you wish to use to write a word and cut out the Braille symbols. Tape the letters to the back of your cardboard. Using the unbent paper clip, punch a small hole through the dots of the letters you are using. Remove the paper letters and turn the cardboard over. Working from the back of the cardboard, poke the point of a pencil through each pinhole. When you turn the cardboard face up again, close your eyes and run your fingers along the raised dots. You are reading Braille!!
Don’t forget to book your field trip to come and see Alice in Wonderland in May.
School Performances: May 5,
6, 7, 12, 13 & 14, 2004 at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. daily
Public Performance: May 9, 2004 at 2:30 p.m.
All performances of Alice in Wonderland are at the Paramount Center for the Arts.
Upcoming Auditions at Theatre Bristol
Alice in Wonderland - March 7th at 2:30 p.m. and March 8th at 7 p.m.
Annie - April 4th at 2:30 p.m. and April 5th at 7 p.m.