presents
 
The Belle of Amherst
by William Luce
Final Production of 2021-22 Season
Opens May 20

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

West Palm Beach, Fla.- (Monday, May 9, 2022) - 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
Photography by William Hayes
"...it will both amuse and move you..."
-The Wall Street Journal
Please note that masks continue to be required for everyone throughout the theatre. 
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Palm Beach Dramaworks is a professional, nonprofit theatre company founded in 2000 and located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. Each season, the award-winning company produces five mainstage shows and offers a wide variety of programs for students at the theatre, in schools, and online. Committed to fostering the future of theatre, PBD has become a hub for playwrights in Florida and around the country to nurture their work through initiatives including Drama(in the)works and the annual New Year/New Plays Festival. PBD is a member of Theatre Communications Group, Florida Professional Theatres Association, and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. www.palmbeachdramaworks.org

Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm, and select Sundays at 7pm. Matinee performances are on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm. Post-performance discussions follow Wednesday matinee and Sunday evening performances. Individual tickets are $79, with specially priced preview tickets at $59 and opening night tickets at $94. Student tickets are available for $15, and Pay Your Age tickets are available for those 18-40. Tickets for educators are half price with proper ID (other restrictions apply). Group rates for 20 or more and subscription packages for four or five plays are also available. Tickets can be purchased through the box office, in person or by phone (561.514.4042 ext 2), and online 24 hours a day at palmbeachdramaworks.org.     

The Don & Ann Brown Theatre is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, at 201 Clematis Street. For ticket information contact the box office at (561) 514-4042, or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.
For press photos of The Belle of Amherst
Click here to view photos by William Hayes

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer Sardone-Shiner
Marketing Consultant
(561) 891-7278
jshiner@palmbeachdramaworks.org 
www.palmbeachdramaworks.org