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The Partnership of a Solo ShowBy Brandon Thomsen, Artistic DirectorIt was announced in mid-Februarythat live theatre would return to thetri-state area with Quincy CommunityTheatre’s production of The Belle ofAmherst, a one-person show writtenby William Luce about the great poetEmily Dickinson. There’s a great ironyabout presenting this play in the eraof Covid-19. Emily Dickinson was a(now) famous recluse! She spent muchof her life in seclusion. She wouldhave loved quarantine and a stay-athomeorder! If the people of Amherst,Massachusetts knew her at all, theywould have known her only as theeccentric woman who wears whiteand who no one sees. After her deathat the age of 56, her sister discoveredin Emily’s trunk nearly 2,000handwritten poems. Very few peopleknew that this woman in isolationhad an incredibly unique perspectiveon life, death, the world and had theability to share it through wordson paper.The Belle of Amherst is a play I havewanted to direct for about 15 years.I first saw a friend of mine perform it,and later she presented me with avolume of “The Complete Works….”I saw a filmed version of the play thatstarred Julie Harris, and I found thescript at a used bookstore severalyears ago. As the artistic director of atheatre, it’s my responsibility to selectthe stories that we will tell each year,but that doesn’t mean I do whatever Iwant whenever I want. Instead, eachyear I look at where we are as anorganization, as a community, howwe can grow and how we can varythe voices. With a possible return tolive theatre during an era of socialdistancing, I wanted to select a piecewith a small cast that would feelappropriate for intimate audiences.Dreams wait for the right timing…nowis that timing.Traditionally we would hold openauditions for all our roles, but in theunique circumstance of a one-personshow, I needed to make sure we hadsomeone in place who wanted totake on the hefty task of memorizinga 90-minute solo play and who couldhold the audience’s attention forthat amount of time. Local actor JeriConboy has played several roles in thepast that have had loads of dialogue,and I knew she could not onlymemorize the piece but would growinto the role and make it her own. Iapproached Jeri with the idea, and shethought about it for a week and cameback with a yes. We decided to meetto discuss the process. As neither ofus had done a one-person show, wetalked about ways we might proceed.(Side note: I performed in a soloshow as Abraham Lincoln, but I alsodirected it, and directing one’s self isentirely different from directing anotherperson.) Jeri recently retired and haddaytime availably, so we decidedthat most of our rehearsals wouldbe during the day. We discussed thefrequency of rehearsals – should werehearse every day, or would it bebetter to rehearse a few days a weekso that she could memorize on the offdays? Ultimately, we decided that wewould figure it out as we go. We wouldadjust the process to suit what weneeded.Our first rehearsal was just reading theplay out loud. I took note of words,places, and people that I needed tolook up. Then we went our separateways and did our own research. Weread books, watched documentariesand movies, and listened to interviews.We started each rehearsal with sharingsome piece of information that wehad discovered since the last timewe met or a “light bulb moment”about a poem. Unlocking the poetryis the most challenging part, but wetalk it through, asking questions andfrequently what happened is Jeriwould throw out an idea about a wordor phrase, and my mind opened to therest of the poem. Emily Dickinson’spoetry is exquisite.What I have appreciated most aboutthis experience has been that ourrespective impressions of EmilyDickinson have changed during ourrehearsal period. Together, Jeri and Ihave discovered that Emily Dickinsonwas a radical who would not acceptthe conventions of her time, and ratherthan give in to something she didn’twant, she took control of her ownnarrative. When Jeri and I discussedthe question “What do you wantaudiences to walk away with afterseeing this show,” Jeri said, “I think Iwant them to have more questions.”No one will ever know the true EmilyDickinson, but I hope the play willserve as a reminder for people to askquestions of themselves and of eachother and to seek to understanding.Emily Dickinson is a fascinatinglycomplex human being. We each are.See you at the theater!6 artsquincy.orgSHAKER HILLUpscale Resale Shop ofHomegoods, Antiques, Furniture,Wall Art, Outdoor Decor & More!638 Maine, Quincy, IL | 217-653-6937Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10-5
The Belle of Amherst Tellsthe Story of Emily DickinsonTHE BELLE OF AMHERSTApril 14-18DISCOVERY NIGHTTuesday, April 6 at 6 pmQuincy Community Theatre1qct.org or 217-222-3209Live theatre returns to the stage April 14-18 as QCT presents The Belle of Amherst,a provocative one-woman show based onthe life Emily Dickinson. In her Amherst,Massachusetts home, the reclusivenineteenth-century poet Emily Dickinsonrecollects her past through her poetry andletters. The play, written by William Luce,shows us both the pain and the joy ofDickinson’s secluded life.“What is revealed in The Belle of Amherstis that Emily Dickinson is anything but apining poet, secluded in her little bedroomin Massachusetts. She had drive andcould manipulate situations in order tocontrol her own narrative,” said artisticdirector Brandon Thomsen. “No one willever know the absolute truth about her,and that serves as a reminder that wemust always be willing to ask questions ofourselves and seek to understand others.”Told in two acts, this play gives a voiceto one of America’s most enigmatic andeccentric poets. Drawing largely fromEmily’s poetry and letters, The Belle ofAmherst is a breathing autobiography ofa true nonconformist. Jeri Conboy playsEmily Dickinson. The show will be directedby Brandon Thomsen. Susan Scholzserves as the costume designer and LorneKelley serves as the scenic and lightingdesigner.Audiences will have an opportunity to learnmore about the show and Emily Dickinsonat Discovery Night which will take placeTuesday, April 6 at 6 pm at the theatre.The one hour event is free to attend. QCTwill also utilize its social media channelsto feature the production, historicalinformation, and more in the lead up to thelive production in April.Tickets for The Belle of Amherst are $25and may be purchased online at 1qct.orgor by calling the box office. Tickets to theshow will be sold as general admissionand seats will then be assigned by thebox office to ensure adequate distancingis maintained. Audience sizes are limitedper the state’s guidelines. The theatre hasimplemented new policies and proceduresto promote the safest environmentpossible. To view the theatre’s completereopening plan, visit 1qct.org.QCT Presents Wonderful Things, The Songs of Jerry Herman in MayWONDERFUL THINGSMay 13-16 & 20-23Quincy Community Theatre1qct.org or 217-222-3209In Hello, Dolly!, the character CorneliusHackl exclaims, “Isn’t the world full ofwonderful things?!” As the world slowlyreopens after an arduous shutdown,a reminder is needed that the worldis indeed full of wonderful things.Quincy Community Theatre will present“Wonderful Things: The Songs of JerryHerman,” May 13-16, 20-23. ArtisticDirector Brandon Thomsen said, “Whenthinking about what to present as livetheatre returns, I thought it important thatit be uplifting, with the audience going outwith smiles and wanting to spread joy.When I think of joy and musical theatre,I think of Broadway composer JerryHerman.”Jerry Herman is the composer of theBroadway classics Hello, Dolly!, Mame,and La Cage aux Folles. “He wrote thewords and music to some of the greatestmusicals in history, and he also wroteincredible scores to shows that did notbecome hits,” said Thomsen, “and thosewill be included, too. Like discoveringa great song on the radio, we hopeaudiences will perk up and discover anew tune that will resonate with them.”Tickets for the musical revue are $25. TheBox Office will then assign seats to ensureproper distancing is maintained. Audiencesizes are limited per the state’s guidelines,and face coverings are required at alltimes. Tickets to the general public go onsale April 21. For more information, callthe QCT box office at 217-222-3209 orvisit 1qct.org.artsquincy | Apr/May 2021 7
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