When the play was debuted in London's West End in 1961, it launched the theatrical career of a young actress by the name of Jenny Seagrove, who went on to become better known for her romantic relationship with film director Michael Winner who was several decades her senior. This was the second time in as many years that Gibson had worked with Bancroft, their first play together having been Gibson's first staged play, Two for the Seesaw. The cast of the original production included Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, who played Helen Duke played this role for the play's entire seven hundred and nineteen performances, although Bancrpft did not remain with the company for long and was replaced by Suzanne Pleshette. The play is based on the autobiography of Helen Keller, and tells the story of her life from childhood in Tuscumbia, Alabama, to her discovery of the power that sign language had over both her life and the lives of her family members as well. He adapted the television teleplay for the stage two years later, and the three-act play premiered on October 19, 1959, at the Playhouse Theater. William Gibson first wrote The Miracle Workerfor Playhouse 90, a television anthology drama series that gave networks the opportunity to air something different from the traditional long-running serials, but more meaty than half-our sit-coms or gameshows. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

Themes in the miracle worker