The Belle of Amherst
The Belle of Amherst is a one-woman play by William Luce.
Based on the life of poet Emily Dickinson from 1830-1886, and set in her Amherst, Massachusetts home, the play makes use of her work, diaries, and letters to recollect her encounters with the significant people in her life - family, close friends, and acquaintances. It balances the agony of her seclusion with the brief bright moments when she was able to experience some joy.
After one preview, the original Broadway production, directed by Charles Nelson Reilly and starring Julie Harris, opened on April 28, 1976 at the Longacre Theatre, where it ran for 116 performances.[1] The Wall Street Journal reviewer wrote "With her technical ability and her emotional range, Miss Harris can convey profound inner turmoil at the same time that she displays irrepressible gaiety of spirit."[2]
Harris, who portrayed fifteen different characters in the play, won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play and earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for Unique Theatrical Experience. She appeared in a televised PBS production[3] and extensively toured the country with the play for a number of years.[4][5]
[edit] References
- ^ Gussow, Mel."Stage: 'Belle of Amherst'; Julies Harris Portrays Emily Dickinson" The New York Times (abstract), April 29, 1976
- ^ Hischak, Thomas S. and Bordman, Gerald Martin."Act Two, 1975-1984"American theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama, 1969-2000 (2001), Oxford University Press, ISBN 0195123476, p. 102
- ^ "The Belle of Amherst" Internet Movie Database, accessed October 31, 2011
- ^ Rohmann, Chris."Review:'The Belle of Amherst' at Columbus Center, Springfield, Mass." aislesay.com, accessed October 31. 2011
- ^ Ehren, Christine."Julie Harris Returns to 'Belle of Amherst' Oct. 13-Nov. 5 in Seattle" playbill.com, October 13, 2000
