STERLING, Kan. – This weekend’s Sterling High School Theatre Spring Play, The Miracle Worker, will cap the career of the school’s long-time theatre director. Besty Dutton is retiring after 43 years on the Sterling High School Faculty at the end of this school year.
The Miracle Worker will be the 75th show for Dutton at Sterling High. Her first was in December of 1980 when she was a junior theatre/English education student at Sterling College. Greg McGlynn, now the theatre teacher at McPherson High School, was a cast member in that first show for Dutton. This weekend, McGlynn’s son James and daughter Kate are both cast members in Dutton’s last show.
The Miracle Worker centers on the real-life story of teacher Annie Sullivan and her pupil Hellen Keller. Performances will be Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 at the Sterling High School Theatre, with tickets available at the door.
In addition to directing theatre, Dutton has coached forensics and debate and taught Senior English and College Speech. Her future plans are undetermined.
