Emotion-packed stories don't have to be sentimental
Speaking of intense acting, even on the page William Gibson's The Miracle Worker all but sheds sparks in recounting the knock-down-drag-out relationship between deaf, dumb, and blind Helen Keller and her indomitable teacher Annie Sullivan. At 2nd Story Theatre, Amy Thompson and Joanne Fayan lit up the place in a definitive production, directed by Ed Shea. Although the relationship was volatile and even physical, if anything the acting was understated. Since we knew the stakes, the actors could go about honestly reflecting the characters' feelings, so an excruciating tension pulsed through the play even in quiet moments. Marvelous, affecting work.
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