Ginger Grace unmistakably embodies Emily Dickinson in William Luce’s “The Belle of Amherst,” a powerful, one woman show, at the Chocolate Church Arts Center on Sunday, April 29 at 2 p.m.

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (Dec. 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. While Dickinson was a prolific private poet, fewer than a dozen of her nearly 1,800 poems were published during her lifetime. Considered an eccentric by locals, she developed a noted penchant for white clothing and became known for her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, to even leave her bedroom. Dickinson never married, and most friendships between her and others depended entirely upon correspondence. Dickinson was a recluse for the later years of her life. Met with surprises at every turn, Miss Dickinson puts pen to paper and overcomes daunting challenges. At times, she is compelled to “stop the world” as creativity starts – and her poems come to life in the unique voice that defied the conventions of her time.  

Ms. Grace has toured the country since 2002 with “The Belle of Amherst.” She has worked extensively in New York and Regional Theater, playing leading roles in plays such as “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Doubt,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” “Elektra,” “Dancing at Lughnasa” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Grace is a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women, Playwrights Gallery, Stage Struck and Women Stage the World - organizations that advocate for the power of women’s voices to be heard in the theatre.

Tickets are $20 advance ($23 at the door) through the box office at 804 Washington St., Bath, by phone 207-442-8455 and online www.chocolatechurcharts.org.