‘Belle of Amherst’ playwright pays surprise visit to Mt. Hood production

William Luce, in the audience to see actress Jane Fellows' performance Sunday, gives her high praise and a hug

By Sharon Nesbit

The Gresham Outlook, Jul 29, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Jane Fellows plays Emily Dickinson in the play “The Belle of Amherst.” The playwright William Luce attended the Sunday, July 26, performance.

Riley Caton / Contributed photo

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The drama spilled out to the lobby Sunday evening after actress Jane Fellows’ performance of “The Belle of Amherst” at Mt. Hood Community College.

“It was the most extraordinary experience,” Fellows said Monday.

She has been performing the role of poet Emily Dickinson in the William Luce play for 25 years. She received a standing ovation after the performance and then stepped out into the lobby to see friends.

“He stepped up and said to me, ‘I am Bill Luce, the playwright.’ It was like the air just went out of the room,” Fellows said.

The acclaimed Broadway playwright, who lives on the Oregon Coast, came to the Mt. Hood Repertory Theatre performance at the urging of friends who saw it opening night. Luce wrote “The Belle of Amherst” for Julie Harris, who won a Tony Award for her portrayal. The play and its actresses have since claimed many more awards, and Luce’s other works, often about historical figures, have claimed many more.

“Talk about being caught off guard,” Fellows said. “He just held out his arms to give me a hug, and he whispered in my ear, ‘I’ve never seen this done with such emotional power.’”

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