University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2007 The Belle Of Amherst: Developing A Solo Performance Janet Sue Raskin University of Central Florida Part of the Theatre and Performance Studies Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Raskin, Janet Sue, "The Belle Of Amherst: Developing A Solo Performance" (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 3311. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/3311 THE BELLE OF AMHERST: DEVELOPING A SOLO PERFORMANCE by JANET RASKIN B.S. Northwestern University, 1978 M.A.T. National-Louis University, 1985 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in the Department of Theatre in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2007 © 2007 Janet S. Raskin ii ABSTRACT This thesis will document the process of rehearsing and performing a one-woman show based on the life of the poet Emily Dickinson. The script is a cutting of the full-length play, The Belle of Amherst, written in 1976 by William Luce. This self-directed project will document the process that all actors use when developing a role. The first part of developing a role includes historical research, character analysis, and script analysis. The second phase is the rehearsal process. This includes developing the physical and vocal qualities of the character and staging the action of the play. Because this performance is self-directed and self-produced, this thesis will also discuss production aspects that a director or producer usually addresses: set design, lighting, sound design, costuming, publicity, and dramaturgy. A portion of the thesis is also devoted to analyzing the cuts made to the script, a task normally reserved for a playwright. A one-person show has some unique challenges for a performer. These challenges involve making choices about how to interact with the audience, how to transition from scene to scene, and how to incorporate imaginary characters into a one-sided conversation. The question of how to portray an historical figure in an accurate and entertaining way will also be discussed. Committee Chair Mark Brotherton will submit rehearsal reports documenting the last stages of rehearsals. Committee members Kate Ingram and Earl Weaver will submit their analysis of the performance. The thesis performance will take place on Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 14, 2007 at in the Black Box Theatre at Valencia Community College East Campus. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank all those who contributed their insight and expertise in the process of developing this one-woman show for performance. Many thanks to Mark Brotherton whose keen sense of casting led him to suggest The Belle of Amherst, to Kate Ingram for her vocal coaching and acting guidance, to Julia Listengarten whose guidance in Research Methods helped me tackle the written portion, and to Earl Weaver whose great gift was to believe in me. I thank my hosts at Valencia Community College, Artistic Director Julia Gagne and Technical Director Kristen Able, for their generosity in allowing me to use the college's Black Box. My deep appreciation goes to stage manager Kira Ackbarali for running the show with style and grace. My everlasting gratitude goes to my mother, Dorothy Raskin, and my sister, Carol Kaminsky, without whom graduate school would have remained a dream unfulfilled. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................ vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION............................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER TWO: RESEARCH .................................................................................................... 3 Biography.................................................................................................................................... 3 Life Events.............................................................................................................................. 4 Relationships........................................................................................................................... 8 Education .............................................................................................................................. 16 Musical Influences................................................................................................................ 19 CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS................................................................................................ 21 Character Analysis.................................................................................................................... 21 Physical Characteristics ........................................................................................................ 21 Psychological Characteristics ............................................................................................... 23 Vocal Characteristics ............................................................................................................ 23 Solo Performance Considerations......................................................................................... 26 Script Analysis: Cutting a Full-Length Play............................................................................. 27 CHAPTER FOUR: PERFORMANCE........................................................................................ 30 Costume Design........................................................................................................................ 30 Set Design ................................................................................................................................. 33 Props ......................................................................................................................................... 34 Sound Design............................................................................................................................ 36 Lighting..................................................................................................................................... 37 v Audience Interaction................................................................................................................. 38 Publicity .................................................................................................................................... 39 Program..................................................................................................................................... 39 Budget....................................................................................................................................... 39 CHAPTER FIVE: REHEARSAL / PERFORMANCE JOURNAL............................................ 41 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION.............................................................................................. 107 APPENDIX A: SYNOPSIS OF THE BELLE OF AMHERST .................................................. 109 APPENDIX B: COMMITTEE REPORTS................................................................................ 115 LIST OF REFERENCES............................................................................................................ 123 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Budget............................................................................................................................ 40 vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Tell all the Truth but tell it slant – Success in Circuit lies Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth's superb surprise - Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson contemplated the universal truths of nature, love, death, and immortality, and chose to present her perceptions in almost two thousand poems, most of them short, many of them humorous, some of them ironic, all of them touching the soul. She tells the truth, but tells it slanted through the persona of her poems, using a circuit of images, examples, and arguments to make her point. The reward for figuring out her semantic structure and making the associations of her words is the superb surprise of finding the truth behind the images. The beauty of Dickinson's poetry is reason enough to perform the poems. They make a lovely CD set. But my purpose in performing The Belle of Amherst is not merely to present the poems. It is to present the life of Emily Dickinson, whose personal truths will never be known. Like her poetry, she lived her life "slant". As an adult, she withdrew from her friends and community to attend to solitary occupations – poetry writing, gardening, and baking. She communicated to the larger world of friends, editors, and family by letter. Yet these letters are "slant". Dickinson does not reveal her feelings directly, but rather implies her feelings or gives no explanation for her actions. She is still a figure of mystery even though she revealed her soul in her poetry. This thesis project is my portrayal of Emily Dickinson using portions of William Luce's 1976 play, The Belle of Amherst. I had read a variety of solo performance