The Miracle Worker, a play by William Gibson at the Circle in the Square. Starring Abigail Breslin, Alison Pill, Elizabeth Franz, Matthew Modine and Jennifer Morrison. Directed by Kate Whoriskey. This first ever Broadway revival of William Gibson's "The Miracle Worker" has been deemed "flat" and "disappointing" by the critics. Perhaps they saw early performances before the production had jelled, perhaps it took nearly a week into the run for everything to come together. Whatever the explanation, we cannot recall a time when the critics got it so very wrong. Because this current revival of "The Miracle Worker" is, in our opinion, a total success, never maudlin, never pandering, giving us one of the most thrilling nights we've spent in a theater. Abigail Breslin is a splendid Helen while Alison Pill is a powerful Annie Sullivan, a career milestone in this remarkable actor's ascendance. Pill has the rare gift of being eloquent while standing perfectly still and silent. Any performance by Pill commands attention. Distinguished players in lesser, but still crucial roles were Matthew Modine as The Captain, Elizabeth Franz as Helen's aunt, and the beautiful Jennifer Morrison of "House" fame as Kate Keller.
The Circle in the Square is a nasty theatrical space and hardly ideal to present this play, but Kate Whoriskey made a minus into a plus by making the action immediate and intimate for the audience. To realize her success, consider that on the evening we went, there was a Girl Scout troop and many younger children in the audience. Yet these children and the adults (so often distracted by cell phones, or nagging coughs) were absolutely silent, one of the best behaved audiences we've been fortunate to be part of. Everyone was riveted on the action. This play still delivers a powerful punch. We walked out dazzled, and thrilled. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A+