Puppet composition “The Miracle Worker”

After a serious illness, Helen Keller became blind and deaf. The girl gradually became wild and capricious. Her parents did not know how to raise such a child and wrote to the Perkins School for the Blind. From there, they sent Anne Sullivan. The governess taught Helen the hand alphabet — writing with her fingers on her palm. The girl quickly learned the signs, but did not understand their meaning. But Anne persisted.

Illumination came to Helen suddenly, at the water pump. The girl understood that the word “water” is a cool substance flowing down her hand, she understood the connection between the tangible world and the symbols in her palm. Thanks to Anne, Helen learned to communicate, read, write and even speak. She became the first deaf-blind person in history to graduate from school, and then become a writer, public figure and teacher.

In 2009, a sculpture of Helen Keller (by Edward Hlavka) was unveiled at the US Capitol. But I believe that both women deserve attention and that they are almost one whole. Anne accompanied the pupil all her life. And Helen by her example gave hope of an accessible environment for all people with disabilities. She dedicated a book to her teacher, based on which the play “The Miracle Worker” was written. I did not strive for portrait resemblance, I wanted to convey their spiritual closeness.

The puppet composition is a prize-winner of the oldest international competition Hannie Sarris Award (Dabida 2020).