Mississippi College - Tribesman Yearbook (Clinton, MS)

Page 32 text:

The first semester of 1978 saw the Mississippi College Speech and Com- municative Arts Department under- take two ambitious endeavors— the pro- duction of The Miracle Worker and A Christmas Carol. The products proved that the effort was definitely not in Annie Sullivan struggled where all else had failed in reaching the mind of deaf and blind Helen Keller. In William Gibson’s three act play The Miracle Worker her fight to bring the light of knowledge into a darkened mind was brought to life in Aven Auditorium on November 16, 17, and 18, 1978. The in- evitable success of this dramatic pro- duction was obvious as each audience was captivated and held enthralled by the intensity of human emotion wrought in searching for the key to U communicating the Helen. The production was highlighted by the outstanding performances of the leading actresses in the parts of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller, played by Debbie Smith and Viki Little Waters, respectively. Each audience was as- tounded by Viki ' s uncanny and very be- lievable portrayal of the handicapped girl, showing her frustration and anger at not being to express her wants. Deb- bie ' s Annie showed realistically the doubts and fears of the young teacher, faced with a task that no one had been able to accomplish, and not quite sure she could make any difference. The au- diences wept and laughed at the same time during the emotional and signifi- cant last scene as Teacher finally breaks the barrier keeping Helen from communicating with the rest of the world. The Christmas Carol was performed in Aven Little Theatre December 7 and 8. A unique approach was used in presenting the play. Begun as an ap- parent class discussion of the work by Charles Dickens, the effect was that of an impromtu production of the play and selection of cast (even though they had been rehearsing the script all week). Using a minimum of props and costuming, the production was very successful in its approach. The cast fea- tured Clay Kirkland as Bob Cratchitt and Scott Gillen and the Scrooge every- one loved to hate. Robin Weill had the part of Tiny Tim, and the ghoulish Marly ' s ghost was played by Alan Stewart. Without a doubt, the drama department knows the meaning of entertainment. Trying to teach Helen (Viki Waters) some discipline, Annie (Debbie Smith) has it out with her at the dinner table. Captain Keller (Johnny Hyde), never quite sure that sending for Annie was a good idea, warns Mrs. Keller (Debbie Glaze) that he will send her packing if anything else goes wrong.

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King and I was sung by the tall blonde female member of the cast who had Andy Taggart drooling in his chair. The audience favorites included selec- tions from South Pacific in which the sailors complain about the lack of dames and the side-splitting, excellent version of Honey Bun” by the smallest member of the group with the biggest voice. One of the male members with the expressive hands helped bring the reaction from these numbers, along with a well-placed pair of coconuts. The last musical that the award-win- ning team composed is the all-time fa- vorite, The Sound of Music. After the title song was performed the narrator then sang, and very poignantly, Eidel- weiss.” For the grant finale the cast sang Climb Every Mountain.” The Atlanta-based production com- pany was composed of seven per- formers and three musicians (accom- panists), all young people from all over the United States who were brought together through Emory University. Usually commanding a performance fee of $2,500, the group agreed to per- form here on the ir way to Arkansas for a fraction of the normal charge since they were staying the night in Jackson anyway. MC graduate, Chip Crowder, a graduate student at Emory, was help- ful in bringing the entertainment to the campus. One of the most successful of all Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals is Oklahoma! The title number from this production is sung by the cast in one of the opening numbers of the evening.

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A tender moment as Mrs. Keller (Debbie Glaze) consoles her child, Helen, after her nerve-wrack- ing encounter with Ms. Sullivan. The Ghost of Christmas Future (Don Slabach) points Scrooge (Scott Gillen) to look to his future if he doesn’t mend his Ways. Scrooge (Scott Gillen) falls asleep, making way for the entry of Marly’s Ghost. 31