Post Gazette: "From spunky 'Little Miss Sunshine' to an even more heroic young girl.
Abigail Breslin will play Helen Keller in the first Broadway revival of William Gibson's 'The Miracle Worker,' scheduled to open on March 3, producer David Richenthal announced last week. Previews begin Feb. 12 at Circle in the Square Theatre."
2 comments:
With the ongoing debate about disabled actors playing disabled parts, I wonder if the revival of "The Miracle Worker" is bound to bring anymore debate to rise. I don't know much about the extent of disabled actors, but it seems to me that a mute actor or some other disabled actor could play Helen Keller. Perhaps the age of Helen Keller also plays a role in the casting of this role, but I'm sure the company doesn't mind having a star's name on the show either.
I can understand the argument for using a disabled actress to play Helen Keller, but isn't it complete affirmative action to do so? I am a firm believer that the best person for the job should be given the job, and even if Abigail Breslin has not had the actual experience of being deaf or blind, I don't feel that it necessarily impedes her ability to step into Helen's character and to play her with sufficient validity. Whether Abigail was chosen for her star power or for her ability, that's a slightly different issue that has yet to be seen.
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