Doctor Alan Brown

FOLEY - Dr. Alan Brown, professor of English at the University of West Alabama and Road Scholar with the Alabama Humanities Foundation, will give a presentation at the Foley Public Library entitled “The Evolution of the Miracle Worker.” This presentation will take place on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 2 p.m. in the library’s upstairs meeting room.

Most Americans – and Alabamians – have derived their knowledge of Helen Keller’s childhood from William Gibson’s play The Miracle Worker, which was transferred to the screen in 1962. Gibson’s play does draw from Keller’s The Story of my Life; it is also based on Anne Sullivan’s published letters. However, the 1962 film embellishes the famous scene in which Helen spells “water” into Anne Sullivan’s hand at the water pump. In his presentation, Brown will dissect Gibson’s play and highlight those parts which originated in Keller’s autobiography, Sullivan’s letters, and Gibson’s imagination. He will also refer to the 1979 and the 2000 television versions of the play. Brown will illustrate his presentation with a short slideshow that illustrates Keller’s long life and with clips from the 1957 Playhouse 90 broadcast, the 1962 theatrical film, and the 1979 and 2000 made-for-TV films to show how different directors and actors have re-imagined Keller’s life to suit their times and the demands of the cinema. He will also read from Keller’s life and Sullivan’s letters to highlight the factual elements of Gibson’s play.

Due to limited seating, a reservation is required for this presentation. Please call 251-943-7665 to be added to our list of participants. For more information on this program, please see the library’s website at www.foleylibrary.org or check out the Foley Public Library on Facebook and Instagram.