Palm Beach Dramaworks Presents THE BELLE OF AMHERST

Palm Beach Dramaworks closes out its 2021-22 season with The Belle of Amherst, William Luce's popular one-woman play based on the life of Emily Dickinson. Margery Lowe, who portrayed the enigmatic poet last year when PBD joined forces with Actors' Playhouse for a streaming coproduction of the play, returns to the role and is again directed by PBD Producing Artistic Director William Hayes. The Belle of Amherst opens May 20 (8pm) and runs through June 5, with specially priced previews on May 18 and 19.

In his review for The Wall Street Journal, the late Terry Teachout wrote that Lowe's performance "is superior in certain important ways to that of Julie Harris," for whom the play was written. "Heresy? Perhaps, but Harris' Dickinson was too closely tied to the outmoded view" of the poet "as a tremulous recluse . . . . Lowe's "Dickinson is witty, occasionally peppery and more than a little bit sly."

"Marge's performance was brilliant and deserves to be seen in front of an audience," said Hayes. "We heard from many patrons who watched online and told us how much they'd love to see her do the role live, onstage. So we decided to give Marge and our audience the opportunity to experience the play together in the theatre."

Michael Amico is the set designer, Brian O'Keefe is the costume designer, Kirk Bookman is the lighting designer, and Roger Arnold is the sound designer.

The Belle of Amherst tells the story of the independent, reclusive, witty poet through her letters, verse, and the playwright's rich imagination, interweaving the voices of friends, family, and acquaintances to create a vivid portrait of the artist. Luce, who adored Dickinson's poetry, called his play "a love affair with language, a celebration of all that is beautiful and poignant in life." He penned those words in an author's note in the published version of the play, and also said he wrote the piece hoping to "depict an individualist of the highest order" and "the humanity and reasonableness of Emily Dickinson's life."

"This is going to be a completely different experience for me and for the people who saw the stream," said Lowe. "Film can be really intimate, and we could highlight the introspective material with the camera. But nothing beats live theatre. I did the film without a scene partner, but now my scene partner will be right in front of me. The humor will certainly come out more in front of an audience. Beyond that, what I find interesting is that Dickinson was very isolated, and for about 18 months, so was the whole audience. They're bringing that sensibility into the theatre, and I think they'll find this a healing experience. There's a tangible symbiosis between an actor and an audience, heightened so much with this particular play."

Margery Lowe is an award-winning actress and proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA, who has performed in New York and across the country in various national tours, as well as at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, The Muny, Canadian Stage, the Fox Atlanta, Theatre Off Park, Sanford Meisner Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre of Maine, Kansas City Starlight, Stages St. Louis, Maine State Theatre, Stage West, and many others. Florida credits include Maltz Jupiter Theatre, PBD, GableStage, Zoetic Stage at The Arsht Center, Caldwell Theatre Company, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Actors' Playhouse, Naked Stage, American Stage, Florida Shakespeare, Royal Poinciana Playhouse, Parker Playhouse, and Stage Door Theatre. As a company member of the famed Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Margery was a recipient of a Tyrone Guthrie Award. Honored with numerous nominations, she is a Carbonell Award winner, was named New Times Best Actress, and Broadway World Best Actress. She also works in film and television, and is a full-time voice-over artist. margerylowe.com

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