(She stops. The lights over the pump are taking on the color of the past, and it brings ANNIE’S head up, her eyes opening, in fear; and as slowly as though drawn she rises, to listen, with her hand on HELEN’S shoulders. She waits, waits, listening with ears and eyes both, slowly here, slowly there: and hears only silence. There are no voices. The color passes on, and when her eyes come back to HELEN she can breathe the end of her phrase without fear:)
—ever.
(In the family room KATE has stood over the table, staring at HELEN’S plate, with KELLER at her shoulder; now JAMES takes a step to move her chair in, and KATE sits, with head erect, and KELLER inclines his head to JAMES; so it is AUNT EV, hesitant, and rather humble, who moves to the door.
Outside HELEN tugs at ANNIE’S hand, and ANNIE comes with it. HELEN pulls her toward the house; and hand in hand, they cross the yard, and ascend the porch steps, in the rising lights, to where AUNT EV is holding the door open for them.
The curtain ends the play.)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
WILLIAM GIBSON was born in 1914 in New York City. He has written poetry, fiction, and scripts for stage, television, and film and is a member of the Theater Hall of Fame. His plays include The Miracle Worker (which was originally produced for TV’s Playhouse 90, and which went on to win the Tony Award for Best Play on Broadway in 1960), Two for the Seesaw, A Cry of Players, Golda, The Butterfingers Angel, Monday After the Miracle, Goodly Creatures, and Handy Dandy. He is the author of a novel, The Cobweb, as well as the musical version of Clifford Odets’s Golden Boy. His several books include The Seesaw Log, A Mass for the Dead (a study of his family), and a volume of poetry titled Winter Crook. Mr. Gibson’s book, A Season in Heaven, takes a look at metaphysics and the creative process. His latest book is Shakespeare’s Game, a critical study. He was married to the late psychoanalyst Margaret Brenman-Gibson, whose biography Clifford Odets, American Playwright appeared in 1982.
ADDITIONAL WORKS BY WILLIAM GIBSON
Winter Crook (poems)
Dinny & the Witches (play)
A Cry of Players (play)
The Cobweb (novel)
Two for the Seesaw (play)
The Seesaw Log (chronicle)
A Mass for the Dead (chronicle)
American Primitive (play)
A Season in Heaven (chronicle)
The Body & the Wheel (Passion play)
The Butterfingers Angel (play)
Golda (play)
Monday After the Miracle (play)
Shakespeare’s Game (criticism)
Golda’s Balcony (play)
Goodly Creatures (play)
Handy Dandy (play)
Golden Boy (musical)
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Copyright © 1956, 1957 by William Gibson
Copyright © 1959, 1960 by Tamarack Productions, Ltd., and George S. Kelin and Leo Garel as trustees under three separate deeds of trust
Copyright renewed © 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 by William Gibson
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Scribner Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Scribner trade paperback edition June 2008
SCRIBNER and design are trademarks of The Gale Group, Inc., used under license by Simon & Schuster, the publisher of this work.
DESIGNED BY ERICH HOBBING
Text set in Bembo
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-9084-2
ISBN-10: 1-4165-9084-6
ISBN: 978-1-4165-5937-5 (eBook)
CAUTION: The Miracle Worker is the sole property of the above named copyright owners, and is fully protected by copyright. It may not be acted by professionals or amateurs without written permission and the payment of a royalty. All rights, including professional, amateur, stock, radio broadcasting, television, motion picture recitation, lecturing, public reading, and the rights of translation into foreign languages, are reserved. All inquiries should be addressed to the owners’ agent: Mary Ann Anderson, c/o Century Productions, 1697 Broadway Suite 902, New York, NY 10019.
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