Helen Keller Festival inspired charter bus of special riders
I had never been to Tuscumbia, Alabama so I let my GPS guide the way. We made our way from Lafayette, La to the over the backroads through Central and Northern Alabama. When we neared our destination on highway 72, I noticed a sign stating we were 6 miles from Muscle Shoals. Muscle Shoals, the “Hit Recording Capitol of the World” is also the home of Fame Studios. Classics such as The Rolling Stones, Dylan, Aretha, Otis, Etta, Duane Allman, Paul Simon and Alabama have recorded there as well as newer upcoming stars such as Jason Isbell, Black Keys, Drive-By Truckers, St Paul & the Broken Bones and others. There’s a wealth of music history out in the “middle of nowhere” but it’s in a pretty location.
We drove through a quiet neighborhood of older homes before entering the gates and onto the freshly mowed lawns of Ivy Green, Helen Keller’s birthplace. Volunteers in orange vests directed traffic and handled the logistics for over 500 special needs guests who were parking and disembarking their charter buses. The weather was beautiful as they answered questions and led the guest to the outdoor amphitheater. After 61 seasons producing “The Miracle Worker” this crew had it down to a science. After all the passengers were all taken care of they gave me a ticket to the show. First row, no less. Score!
Before the “The Miracle Worker” began the only thing I had known about Helen Keller was what I learned in elementary school. She had been a deaf, dumb and blind child who grew up to become a well known activist for the handicapped. Thankfully the term “dumb” was retired long ago as it had absolutely nothing to do with intelligence. Keller was a brilliant woman with an extremely high IQ. Traveling throughout the world to over 35 countries, she campaigned for the disabled, women’s voting rights, labor rights and world peace. Earning honors the world, she became a National Treasure. Helen Keller was a founding member of the ACLU, wrote 14 books and hundreds of speeches. Her ashes are buried in the Washington National Cathedral alongside with her teacher and constant companions Anne Sullivan and Polly Thomson.
Picture of Play
Though I’m currently a motor coach operator, I’ve been a stagehand since I was 15. I was voted into IATSE as a journeyman stagehand in 1993 so I’ve worked my fair share of productions. What struck me most was the theatre, the stage set (interior of the home), costumes and acting. This wasn’t your typical small town production. While there was no singing, dancing or moving lights, I was as enchanted as I’ve ever been seeing Broadway productions.
The Miracle Workers opened with a wild and feral Helen expressing joy and rage, fear and sorrow all without language. Her parents have lost control. As a last resort they bring in a young teacher named Anne Sullivan. The play is based on Anne’s experiences and as the conflict and drama unfold, she must wrest control of the child away from the parents in order to “get through”. Helen is a spoiled brat who is in a constant state of turmoil. While the reality of her handicap is sad, the character dynamics and frustrations makes for plenty of belly laughs. Anne believed the key to reaching Helen is to teach her obedience and love but also through discipline.
SPOILER: Helen’s breakthrough happens at the end of the play. While water is rushing from a pump spout over her hand, Anne spells out “w-a-t-e-r” on her other hand. That’s when she comes to the realization that signals have meaning. She bends down, touches the earth and demands the letter name. By nightfall she learns 30 words.
I left the theatre in awe of what I leaned about Helen Keller’s childhood. What made it even more rewarding was that I was with a group of people who had many of the same handicaps that Helen had so I absorbed it in ways I could never have imagined. This wasn’t textbook stuff anymore. It was real!
PICTURE HERE OF HOUSE and/or Entrance
Helen Keller’s House
Helens’s Virginian grandparents built Ivy Green Plantation which got its name because English Ivy grew on part of the house. This National Historic Landmark was purchased by the city from the Keller Family in 1954. They appointed a board of directors to oversee the home and grounds which now operate as a museum honoring and interpreting Keller’s life. The museum relies on a nominal admission and the annual production of “The Miracle Worker” for its operations.
Picture of Pump
It was spiritually uplifting to touch the actual well pump where Helen Keller achieved her communication breakthrough with Anne Sullivan.
PICTURES HERE
The Helen Keller Festival (SubHeadline)
A funny coincidence for me was that the headline act of the Helen Keller Festival was none other than Jefferson Starship, a band I’ve promoted three time. They were also staying at the same hotel as we were, the Cold Water Inn which was a really nice Southern hotel. I was able to visit them backstage before the show as well as the next morning in the hotel. I hadn’t seen their vocalist Cathy Richardson, since 2009 so we had a nice chat. It was quite a memorable ending to this 3 day jaunt.
While I was shuttling passengers between Ivy Green, the festival and the hotel, I really didn’t get a chance to enjoy more of the festival. I dropped the final passengers off at the hotel before going back to the festival and making my way backstage for a visit. I found it strange that the “Music in the Park” portion of the festival wasn’t serving anything stronger than lemonade. At first I thought it might be because this was a “Helen Keller” event but Fairhope, AL didn’t sell beer or alcohol at a Blues Traveler concert maybe it’s just be an Alabama thing. While that may have been a spirit killer the entire trip was a rewarding adventure for charter bus full of special riders.
The best to visit Ivy Green is the last week of June during the annual Helen Keller Festival.