Sparks is youngest miracle worker yet

For 65 years, audiences have watched the story of Helen Keller come to life on the outdoor stage behind Ivy Green in Tuscumbia. This summer, that tradition reached a milestone.

Ruby Sparks, 6, is the youngest actor ever to play Helen Keller in “The Miracle Worker.” She is also the first child with hearing loss to take on the role, bringing a personal connection to one of Alabama’s most wellknown stories. For Ruby, playing Helen is more than memorizing movements and scenes. It is a chance to portray someone she feels connected to. “My favorite thing about Helen is that she’s like me,” Ruby said. “She has hearing loss.”

That shared experience has given Ruby a deeper understanding of the character she portrays each night. Her favorite scene is one of the most famous moments in the play, the water pump scene where Annie Sullivan helps Helen make the connection between words and the world around her.

Director Caroline Self said casting Ruby was unlike anything the production had done before.

She said Helens are usually around 10 or 11 years old because the role is physically and emotionally demanding. When Ruby auditioned at just 5 years old, it was unknown if someone so young could handle it.

Self believed Ruby could.

She credits much of Ruby’s success to her older sister, Nora Sparks, who played Helen last year and shares the role with Ruby this season.

Everything Nora learned from her own experience has been passed on to her younger sister, helping Ruby understand not only the physical actions on stage but also the emotions behind them.

“The role of Helen is not just doing the motions,” Self said. “It’s also feeling the feelings and making the decisions.”

Those are difficult lessons for any child to learn, she said, making Ruby’s performance even more impressive.

The production has become a true family affair for the Sparks family.

Nora, who is 10, alternates performances with Ruby as Helen. Their youngest sister, sevenmonth old Jane Ellen, appears as baby Helen during the opening of the play. At the end of each performance, all three sisters share the stage during curtain call.

Their mother, Cassie Sparks, said watching all three daughters take part in the production has been a special experience.

She has loved “The Miracle Worker” since she was a little girl and never imagined one day all three of her daughters would help tell Helen Keller’s story together.

While Ruby is making history, Nora has enjoyed helping her little sister grow into the role. She said it has been exciting to pass along everything she learned from playing Helen herself. Practicing together at home has become part of everyday life.

Nora said the role has become easier over time because she remembers more with each performance and continues to find new ways to improve.

She also enjoys watching Ruby perform when it is not her night on stage.

“It’s super fun,” Nora said. “It’s a different experience.”

Self said they approach the role in completely different ways. She laughed while recalling Ruby’s first rehearsal with some of the more physical scenes.

When practicing moments that called for Helen to slap another character, Ruby did not hold back.

Self said they had to remind her she did not actually need to hit people as hard as she could.

Ruby also embraced one scene involving breaking dishes, enthusiastically smashing several plates during an early performance.

Despite the demanding role, Self said Ruby has never complained.

Summer performances often take place in intense Alabama heat with heavy costumes, bugs and long rehearsal hours. Older actors have sometimes struggled with those conditions, but Ruby has remained positive throughout the season.

Self said Ruby’s attitude reminds her of Helen Keller herself. She described Ruby as determined, energetic and a little mischievous, qualities she believes fit the character well.

For Self, Ruby’s casting represents something larger than a milestone. She said having a child with hearing loss portray Helen gives the story an added level of understanding that cannot easily be taught.

“If you’ve had some of the same experiences, it just makes it a lot easier to tap into,” Self said.

She also hopes audiences see another important message.

“The story of ‘The Miracle Worker’ is basically that nothing is beyond reach,” Self said. “Whatever limitations a person may have, you can figure out ways to overcome them.”

Ruby agrees that playing Helen has helped her understand the famous author and activist in a personal way.

When asked if sharing hearing loss with Helen makes the role easier to understand, Ruby answered with a simple nod.

The role has also strengthened the bond between the sisters.

Nora said seeing her younger siblings on stage together is one of her favorite parts of the production. She enjoys helping Ruby improve while also cheering her on from the audience when they switch performances.

Outside the theater, the girls have ordinary childhood interests. Nora enjoys climbing trees, painting and playing outside. Ruby likes tumbling, and Nora said gymnastics helps build the confidence needed to perform before large crowds.

Both girls hope to continue acting in the future.

Self believes Ruby’s young age could allow audiences to watch her grow into the role over the next several years.

As children mature, she said, they bring new depth and understanding to Helen’s story. Starting so young gives Ruby an opportunity that few actors have had.

For many involved with “The Miracle Worker,” the production becomes a lifelong connection.

Self herself once played Helen as a child before returning years later as director. She said the experience changes people and stays with them long after they leave the stage.

Now, Ruby is becoming part of that tradition while creating history of her own.