In a unique joint production, William Luce’s one-woman play The Belle of Amherst will come to the stage at Church Hill Theatre on January 10, 11, and 12, then move to the Cadby Theatre at Chesapeake College for performances on January 18 and 19.
The play is based on the life of the reclusive poet Emily Dickinson, one of the most important figures in American literature. Her work is known for its bold originality and haunting personal voice, with themes exploring death, immortality, nature, and love.
Director Gil Rambach has worked closely with actor Christine Kinlock, who brings Dickinson to life with wit, occasional mischief, and an irrepressible gaiety of spirit. Kinlock, a local English and Theatre teacher, is a graduate of Wellesley College, a “Seven Sisters” colleague of Mount Holyoke College, where Dickinson studied. She has had a lifelong interest in both Dickinson and this play about her life and art.
The Belle of Amherst is set in Emily Dickinson’s Amherst, Massachusetts home from 1830 – 1866, using her poems, diaries and letters to illuminate her interactions 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 experienced joy.
Tickets and further information about the CHT production can be found at churchhilltheatre.org or by calling the office at 410-556-6003. Tickets for the Chesapeake College venue may be purchased at Chesapeake.edu/TPAC. Enjoy the show!
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