via The New York Times
By Patrick Healy
After a nationwide search, the producers of the coming Broadway revival of "The Miracle Worker" have cast a vision-impaired 10-year-old as the understudy for the role of Helen Keller, to the delight of advocates for disabled actors who were concerned about the choice of a seeing, hearing actress to play Helen.
Kyra Ynez Siegel of Eugene, Ore., landed the understudy job after flying to New York two weeks ago for an audition. That involved working with a fight choreographer on movement techniques for an early scene in which Helen and her new teacher, Annie Sullivan, battle over a doll.
After an injury when she was 9, Miss Siegel, who will become one of the few disabled actresses working in a major Broadway production this season, can see only shapes and colors out of her right eye, she said in an interview by e-mail.
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Posted
Dec 15 2009, 03:04 PM
by
BusyBee
Filed under: Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, "The Miracle Worker, David Richenthal, free to blind, understudy Helen Keller role, choice based on acting ability Sharon Jensen, deaf or hard-of-hearing audience members, Broadway revival, vision impaired, low-vision, disabled actress, disabled performers overlooked, " Kyra Ynez Siegel, D-Scriptive and I-Caption, audio and caption devices