The Belle of Amherst
by William Luce

Starring VALERIE HAUGEN as Emily Dickinson





Directed and Designed by LON WINSTON

Lighting Designer Brad Moore
Stage Manager Richard Lyon



When your theatre critic has a baby prior to your opening
you rely on the REAL critics...YOUR PATRONS .
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings about our work.




Valerie, please know that you/Emily are etched forever in my heart/soul. Certain scenes seem truly carved there, precisely, forever.

Valerie’s interpretation of the poems of Emily Dickinson, sprinkled throughout the play, is incredibly powerful. I was moved to tears. The stage glows with her presence (and the great lighting and set). I'm not a reviewer so I won't go into detail about the nuances of the performance but suffice it to say that it is universal and beautiful. Some of the best theater ever!

BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO. WE LOVED IT. VALERIE WAS SUPERB.

Lon and Valerie, Your play broke my heart. It's like getting to know someone you'd really love to know better only to have her disappear. You both did a terrific job of capturing a sprite of a woman. Thanks for entertaining us so beautifully.

What an extraordinary evening!!! (The set) was perfection...It was a luscious evening. You were so passionate - your feet barely touched the floor. Enchanting! Robust! You touched me so deeply all along the way. You are a fine fine fine actress. We are blessed to be in your audience.

It is our great pleasure and honor to be able to sit in your theatre and be treated to fine art…..Valerie was amazing as Miss Emily. Thank you so much for making this all possible. Valerie is one of the most talented actresses I have ever seen, on the screen or stage. Thunder River has become a formidable troupe...a great community asset.

(We) loved your performance. Thank you for bringing E. Dickinson to us. I wanted to thank you afterwards, but honestly my face was embarrassingly wet and red; and it remained so for the ride back to Aspen. (We) talked about Emily the whole way home. Thank you for touching us so.

It was an honor (no, any word here seems stupid) to see your portrayal of Ms. Dickinson last night. You brought genuine tears to my eyes with your sincere, honest and intelligently crafted performance.

Last night I experienced, among many deep feelings and thoughts, the essence of why writing poetry isn't nearly enough for you, that you had to pursue acting. How magnificent you were, how mesmerizing. I swallowed so many tears and was afloat on high current of inspiration. I am still mesmerized within your performance, your grace, your intensity, diversity, humor, sorrow, your being able to bring Emily before us, even me who cannot not see you there being her.

I wanted to share with you how deeply moved I was by your performance and how satisfying it was in every respect, how fulfilling it was to be held spellbound by those images and that poetry. It was a confirmation that a life in theatre has the possibility of transcendence, of spiritual resonance and joy.

I was moved to tears and just wanted to relish the delight of the words, the performance, the set, the world that you both shared with us. It was absolutely lovely and moved me deeply. Every touch was artistic and connected viscerally and humanly. At the end, I had that wonderful theatre moment, when I didn't want to leave my seat.

You were absolutely captivating. (I) LOVED it and was so impressed by your intelligence, integrity and powerful performance.

Lon, A jubilant congratulations to you and the crew of "Belle"! The set breathed and the jewel of the production, Valerie, superlatives are inadequate to describe. Thank you and Bravo on a legendary production.

I was spellbound and truly felt as if I had been invited to tea at Emily's. It was a great privilege to experience her so intimately. I have loved Emily for a long time, and meeting her last night not only in her poetry, was a rare treat.

I was moved to tears by your performance. You stirred such emotions of love and loss. There was a sort of universality about your interpretation. It was a fabulous performance. Thanks to everyone at TRTC for being such a central part of our community.

Kudos to you, Lon, for directing such a treasure of a play in a way that made me and my friends feel we were having a short visit with a charming, intelligent and vibrant hostess! Valerie embodied the character and presented the play like a sparkling gem. It was a bravura performance by Valerie.



























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