Yvonne Hudson, whose one-woman show “Mrs. Shakespeare” received critical acclaim when it played the Tribeca Playhouse in NYC and the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh, turns her attention now to Emily Dickinson in her new show, “The Poet Lights the Lamp”. As Pittsburgh Live notes about the upcoming performance at the Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh campus:
Hudson, appearing as Emily, shares the inspirations and tribulations of the writing life. Drawn from Emily’s letters and works, and the observations of those who knew the prolific and reclusive poet, this solo presentation features a replica of the writer’s white dress, designed by Pitt Theatre’s Cindy Albert. Hudson reveals the poet’s sly wit and passion for publishing through Emily’s own words and her original script.
Note that this is NOT “The Belle of Amherst”, the well-known one-woman show about Emily Dickinson that has been revived this season by the Woods Hole Theater Company on Cape Code, the Independent Players in Elgin, IL, Hope College in Holland, MI, and, perhaps most buzz-worthy, Lindsay Crouse with the Gloucester Stage.
Dickinson certainly lends herself well to the intimacy of the one-woman-show format. There is a wink and a nod in most of her poems; they’re not chatty, but they do suggest that the reader lean forward a little bit, listen a little closer, and take away some pearls of wit.
I’ve found precious little about this new show–only a few notes of its October 20 performance–but the title is evocative. It suggests illumination and insight, and also that sort of close intimacy that comes when people sit down together in a dark room with just a dim lamp to cast shadows while they discuss nlife, love, nature, time, and eternity.
If you’re in Pittsburgh for homecoming weekend, swing over to the show ($5 with a student ID!), and then drop us a line here at the Daily Dickinson; we’d love for someone to share a review of this new work if they’ve got a moment to spare.
Just lost when I was saved!
