Advocacy Groups Opposes Actress Search

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Advocacy Groups Opposes Actress Search

The Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, as well as other groups, are protesting the decision to cast Abigail Breslin, who starred in "Little Miss Sunshine," as Helen Keller in the revival of "The Miracle Worker."

The groups are protesting that no hearing- or vision-impaired actresses were auditioned for the role of Keller, who was deaf and blind. The part was played in the original Broadway production by Patty Duke.

Lead producer of the show David Richenthal explained that he needed an established star for the role and his research did not producer any well-known deaf or blind young actresses.

Richenthal did say that he would audition deaf and blind actresses to be Breslin's understudy.

Gina Wilhelm Actress