Casting of Abigail Breslin as Helen Keller Angers Deaf, Blind Groups

By PopEater Staff Posted Oct 29th 2009 12:25PM

It was announced Wednesday that 13-year-old Abigail Breslin will play Helen Keller in the Broadway revival of 'The Miracle Worker' this winter. But the news is being met with extreme opposition by blind and deaf advocacy groups, simply because of Breslin's ability to see and hear.

"We do not think it's O.K. for reputable producers to cast this lead role without seriously considering an actress from our community," said Sharon Jensen, executive director of the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, to the New York Times. "I understand how difficult it is to capitalize a new production on Broadway, but that to me is not the issue. There are other, larger human and artistic issues at stake here."

The show's producer, David Richenthal, made it clear that he wanted a star to play Keller in order to ensure commercial success, and he was unable to find a blind or deaf child actor who fit the bill. Breslin's star power stems from her Academy Award nomination for her role as Olive in 'Little Miss Sunshine.'

"It's simply naïve to think that in this day and age, you'll be able to sell tickets to a play revival solely on the potential of the production to be a great show or on the potential for an unknown actress to give a breakthrough performance," he said. "I would consider it financially irresponsible to approach a major revival without making a serious effort to get a star."

The producers do plan to audition blind and deaf actresses for Breslin's understudy, however, in a compromise that Richenthal says will still allow for high ticket sales. But he stressed that a seeing and hearing actress may be cast as understudy if they cannot find a "qualified" deaf or blind actress.

Helen Keller was a deaf and blind author and activist. 'The Miracle Worker' follows the relationship between Keller and Anne Sullivan -- the woman who taught her to communicate.

Tags: abigail breslin, AbigailBreslin

Comments

(111)

Friday 06 November

By strattan

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point 1) Just because other hearing actors have played Deaf, blind, or other specific types of roles doesn't make it right.

point 2) The producer's comments were not concerned with talent or ability, but star power. Let's keep Us Weekly out of the theatre. We have a higher standard.

point 3) There are many Deaf or blind actors who have devoted their lives to the craft. They have difficulty finding mainstream work. Then a role comes along in which they are perfectly suited on a large stage, with a large paycheck, and a large audience, and they're not even considered. If they had auditioned some of them for the role, and gone in another direction, I'd be more understanding. But they didn't call them in. If he thinks that's what's financially responsible, then I would like him to take responsibility for being morally questionable.

Member Actors' Equity Association since 2004.

Thursday 29 October

By Karen

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Totally on the producer's side. This is a HUGE financial undertaking! Besides, nobody cared when Patty Duke played Helen Keller! I'm all for advancements within the deaf/blind community, but sometimes they need to pick their battles. Read Marlee Matlin's book for the flack she got for speaking at the Oscars instead of signing one year!!! (Plus, her petition to get netflix and other outlets to stream content with close captioning is far more important and worthwhile)

By sdg

I agree.

Friday 30 October

By Lisa

The decision is up to the producer. If you don't like it, produce your own play, film, etc.

Monday 02 November

By Katy Christensen

Obviously some people just want to complain-who cares on who plays what roles, they should look at it at a different light. I would think that with this movie it is making people more aware of the difficulties and struggles that blind & deaf people do on a day to day basis. I've seen Helen Keller movie and read the book, and I couldn't think of a better actress to play the part.

By junior

Guess none of you fools were alive when Patty Duke won an oscar for her portrayal of Helen Keller. Get over your damn selves.

By Terry

Junior - YES! I was thinking the exact same thing. Maybe if this so-called "community" wants to guarantee the commercial viability of the show when it passes on a star to cast a nobody just because they are blind and/or deaf then OK. Otherwise shut your pie hole and go make your own danged production. I am sick to death of idiots trying to tell people how they can spend their money, run their company, create their production, etc. when they have no vested stake.

By heather

Not to be mean, but I'm just wondering how would a blind and deaf actress know her role and such? How would she know her cues or when another actor is finished w/his or her line? I'm not saying that a blind and deaf person isn't capable of acting, I'm just saying that it would be a much hard process for all involved.

"harder" yes I caught my own mistake.....

By tana green

Ask Marlee Matlin, she's half way there. Pretty shabby that there aren't more.

Heather, you are not being mean, just realistic.
I think that the wonderful work that Ms. Sullivan accomplished by getting through to Helen Keller and, showing how a blind and deaf person can be an active, productive part of society is all that is important.

The right person to portray this, in the Broadway venue, is a person with sight and hearing.

This is an important story, why would the impaired community have a problem how it is told? As it was said earlier, this is a battle they should have thought about a bit more.

By don

harder for whom?

By Katie

Agreed that this is a huge financial undertaking. Not to mention (and I don't mean this to sound harsh), but rehearsal and production times on these sorts of shows move *very* quickly- they need someone who will move very quickly along with them. Not to say there aren't blind and deaf actresses who can do that, but it could put strains on the rest of the cast to keep up.

Abigail Breslin has a huge undertaking ahead of her- for right now, the blind and deaf community should be wishing her luck that she does the part justice. They should be supporting her in this role, not tearing her apart.

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Thet are not tearing apart the ectress, just the producers who cast her. Can't you read?

By Monica

Tana Green...Can't you spell???

By bill

How'd the deaf groups hear about this? The blind groups can't see it anyway. What's their beef. This isn't a reality show, its a play. A dramatization. A characterization. Done by actors not authentic deaf and blind. Crikey, next were going to have special interest groups complaining that the actors in Cats aren't real cats or the vampire actors aren't real vampires.

By Lynn

They're NOT real cats????????????

By Mike

LOL! I rarely get a laugh out of these comments, but yours and the first reply were hilarious! And, on target. I guess the producers of that movie about the boy in the plastic bubble really screwed up. . .

By JOEL

Ok...first of all, if nobody had told them , how would they have known.
Second of all, having a actress that CAN see & hear will make making thwmovie go a whole lot faster.

...and in the third place...I can't remember even seeing any deaf & blind people in the movie theater !!
PEOPLE.....LIGHTEN FREAKIN' UP !!!

By rk

This isn't a movie; it's a Broadway show. And actually, blind and deaf people do go to the movies, they just have different experiences there.

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