'The Belle of Amherst' Sparkles

Emily Dickinson comes alive in the Fellowship Theater's production of 'The Belle of Amherst' at Chatham United Methodist Church.

Meg Gilbert gives a compelling performance as Emily Dickinson. She captures Emily's spirit—her willful desire to remain a recluse, her passion for and dedication to nature and her childlike wonder at the world around her.

William Luce's play, directed by Gil Rambach, offers us a glimpse into Dickinson's world—her parlor and bedroom, specifically. Emily charges into the scene and starts telling us stories about her life that "wonder back and forth through time." 

"I believe in truth, but I think it can be slanted a little," she says, and for the next two and a half hours, we hear Emily's version of it.

Most of what I knew about Emily Dickinson was that she never married and was a recluse.  Luce's play is nothing if not a thorough look into Dickinson's life. We learn about the characters of her everyday: her demanding but understanding father, her brother, her sister who loved reading about accidents in the paper, a dragon-like teacher, an editor at The Atlantic Monthly, and a man she loved but never married. We also learn about her environment: the rolling hills of Amherst, the colorful morning and evening skies, and especially, the flowers, birds and bees that made her heart sing. "To find phosphorescence, that light within, is the genius behind poetry." Gilbert finds in Dickinson the phosphorescence that she found in the world. 

With the loss of her father, mother and her nephew, Emily's poetry becomes sentimental and a little morose. She hasn't been published and she's turned down marriage with the only man she's ever love, a married Presbyterian Pastor. But she's content with her life.

"I shall always be content," she says.

Luce intersperses verses of Emily's poems throughout the play. They are welcome delights, especially when Gilbert's tone becomes overly dramatic during the sadder scenes. The poetry illuminates Dickinson's genius and clever wit and showcases Gilbert's talent at conveying it.

It's difficult to keep audiences, especially young ones, captivated for longer than a few minutes, especially if you're the only person on stage. However, Gilbert's movements throughout the Victorian furniture-strewn set were as comfortable and natural as if she were Dickinson moving throughout her own home. Her ease with the audience, her engaging eye contact, and frankly, her stamina, made this two and a half hour performance perfectly pleasant. Gilbert's comedic timing was especially excellent.

In its opening year, the Fellowship Theater, run by the church, has also produced The Glass Menagerie and The Importance of Being Earnest. If the Belle of Amherst—its fourth production—is any indication of the theater's dedication to high standards and classic theater, than the residents of Chatham are in for a treat.

As the play ends, we find Emily looking through a pictograph of photos of faraway places her friends from school have sent her. "Everyone is somewhere but Emily. Emily is here, always here." Through her performance, Gilbert cements Emily's importance and relevance today.

The final performance of The Belle of Amherst is tonight at Chatham United Methodist Church, 460 Main St., at 8 p.m.