The Belle of Amherst
Release Date: 12/16/2000. Expired: 1/26/2001
The Life of Emily Dickinson Brought to The Renaissance Center Stage
Dinner Theatre at The Renaissance Center begins every Friday at 6:30 p.m. with a catered meal followed by a live show. Starting Jan. 5 through Jan. 26, The Renaissance Repertory Company will present The Belle of Amherst, a one-woman play by William Luce based on the life and poetry of Emily Dickinson, the 19th century American poet. Tickets to this event are $25 per person and reservations should be made by noon on Friday.
Featuring Springfield, Tennessee native Erin Calvert, Emily brings to life many people in her family and recounts incidents from when she was 15 and full of life and hope to the age of 53.
Hal Partlow, director of the play and member of The Renaissance Repertory, picked this play because, “while many people have heard of Emily Dickinson, many may not know the details of her life. It is a touching piece and very personable with the one-actor aspect of how it is presented. It will be appealing to the public because Erin gives a very down to earth performance and being the only actor allows her to be intimate with the audience.”
Calvert does indeed provide a sensational portrayal of Dickinson. Dickinson, who came from an influential family in Amherst, Massachusetts, has historically been described as a recluse in her later years. Calvert and Partlow see this as a harsh description of a woman who simply appreciated nature for what it is, did not conform to society’s influences, and wrote flamboyantly, yet so poignantly.
“I did not realize how much I had in common with her,” states Calvert. “I love her for her simplicity. She was her own person and she refused to conform in a time when discretion and conformity was a big thing.”
Partlow adds, “Her (Dickinson’s) connection to nature was as much spiritual as it was intellectual and this is reflected in her writing. Nature, for her, was proof of God and the afterlife.”
Throughout Calvert’s performance, the audience will be introduced to over 15 other characters that are not portrayed by actors, but merely as ‘presences’ as she has dialogues with the people in her life. In these scenes, she captures the essence of Dickinson’s interpersonal relationships and helps the audience get to know the people who helped shape her life.
Calvert shares, “This is the first time I have had the opportunity to play a role as challenging and daunting as this. But, that was the appeal for me. As an actor, it is very exciting to be given a role this ‘meaty’ to work with. As extensive as the script is, memorizing my lines has not been as hard as carrying through the extremes of emotions.”
Under Partlow’s direction, the audience will get to know Emily Dickinson, and become familiar with Amherst, Massachusetts, her friends and family, the townspeople, and her home place that she loved so much.
Elaine Sherrill, director of music education at The Renaissance Center, has composed original music for this performance. Costume design, props, lighting, original music composition, additional supports and stage management by The Renaissance Rep, and a winning actor/director team equals a charming, fascinating and entertaining account of one of America’s most beloved poets.
Many of Dickinson’s poems are woven into this touching production which will be presented in Dinner Theatre every Friday in January. Tickets for dinner and the show are $25. The Renaissance Center is located at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson.
To reserve tickets for Dinner Theatre, contact Leann Polk, director of events, at (615)740-5503. For more information on this performance or others, please call (615)740-5600.
Visit the Gaslight Dinner Theatre page for more about dinner theatre.
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