Julie Harris is one of America's most acting stage treasures. England has Dame Judi Dench, we have the wonderful Julie Harris who brings life about Emily Dickinson in this one woman stage performance. Of course, only somebody like Julie Harris would have the power to hold us for the ninety minutes of performing solo without any supporting characters like Emily's sister, father, mother, brother, and sister-in-law. Maybe that would distract us from the real purpose and that is the life of Emily Dickinson. When Julie introduces herself as Emily Dickinson to her audience as in a theater, we believe her to be this long-revered poetic genius. Julie is charming, brilliant, and marvelous as Emily Dickinson on-stage in a performance that will forever should be studied by acting students all around the world. Julie's Dickinson is one of humor, light-hearted, sad at times, and real. She becomes very real to us and we feel like we just spent an evening with the real Emily Dickinson.
12 Reviews
Harris at her Full Potential
gavin694226 August 2013
Portrait of 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson based on her poems, letters and notes. This is a taped broadcast of a live one-woman performance.
I watched this as a tribute to the recent passing (August 2013) of Julie Harris. Unfortunately, it is not the version directed by Charles Nelson Reilly, but direction is hardly what makes this worth watching.
Harris nails it. Obviously I have no idea what Emily Dickinson actually sounded like, or her accent or inflections. But I like to think she was exactly like the way Harris portrays her -- full of insight, wit and humor. And so expertly portrayed -- over an hour of monologue without a stumble or a pause.
I watched this as a tribute to the recent passing (August 2013) of Julie Harris. Unfortunately, it is not the version directed by Charles Nelson Reilly, but direction is hardly what makes this worth watching.
Harris nails it. Obviously I have no idea what Emily Dickinson actually sounded like, or her accent or inflections. But I like to think she was exactly like the way Harris portrays her -- full of insight, wit and humor. And so expertly portrayed -- over an hour of monologue without a stumble or a pause.
Words are my life.
mark.waltz9 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
From Broadway and beyond, Julie Harris's performance as poet Emily Dickinson in this one woman play is absolutely excellent, capturing the essence for a video recording to a one person play that is still performed but never surpassed. Having seen Harris live on Broadway in "The Gin Game" in 1997 and getting to meet her afterwards (thanks to director Charles Nelson Reilly) and a revival of this in 2014 starring Joely Richardson, this was a treat in every way.
Harris fleshed out many real life and fictional women, going from a young girl upset over being just a member of a wedding party to Joan of Arc dealing with the judges accusing her of heresy to the grieving Mary Todd Lincoln to Amanda's memories of gentlemen callers to a novice to the card game of gin rummy and keeps beating a veteran player. And those were just a few of her stage roles, not counting movie parts and TV episodic appearances.
Fortunately, TV anthology shows like "Hallmark Hall of Fame" and "American Playhouse" captured some of those stage shows for television audiences, and in a 90 minute monologue as Emily, she completely recaptures the poet's life, charming the audience through wit, sincerity and pathos, surrounded by a realistic set representing Dickinson's living room, with a good majority of the props prominently featured as if they were characters from her past springing to life. Harris deservedly won the Tony Award for this (one of many) so it is a treat to see this years later, captured for immortality.
Harris fleshed out many real life and fictional women, going from a young girl upset over being just a member of a wedding party to Joan of Arc dealing with the judges accusing her of heresy to the grieving Mary Todd Lincoln to Amanda's memories of gentlemen callers to a novice to the card game of gin rummy and keeps beating a veteran player. And those were just a few of her stage roles, not counting movie parts and TV episodic appearances.
Fortunately, TV anthology shows like "Hallmark Hall of Fame" and "American Playhouse" captured some of those stage shows for television audiences, and in a 90 minute monologue as Emily, she completely recaptures the poet's life, charming the audience through wit, sincerity and pathos, surrounded by a realistic set representing Dickinson's living room, with a good majority of the props prominently featured as if they were characters from her past springing to life. Harris deservedly won the Tony Award for this (one of many) so it is a treat to see this years later, captured for immortality.
One of the greatest acting performances in the 20th century
vic-1230 May 2000
I saw the play, the one-woman show years ago, and went to see Julie Harris (from Grosse Pointe) in her dressing room, after the show. I had to tell her how moved I was, and how amazed that she had BECOME Emily Dickinson.
Years later, as I watched the video, I was riveted to the screen and many times moved to tears to actually experience the tenderness, passion and acerbic wit of the great poet. I regaled in her joys and suffered her frustrations and disappointments. She showed the world what a person can do with loneliness and spinsterhood. Dickinson had a unique talent and will go down in history as one of America's finest poets, and Julie Harris made the person vivid and believable. The range of her acting talent was remarkable, as she went freely from light humor and delight to deep passion and excruciating emotional pain. And she relished in the fact that she was a nonconformist who disturbed the gossips around her.
Years later, as I watched the video, I was riveted to the screen and many times moved to tears to actually experience the tenderness, passion and acerbic wit of the great poet. I regaled in her joys and suffered her frustrations and disappointments. She showed the world what a person can do with loneliness and spinsterhood. Dickinson had a unique talent and will go down in history as one of America's finest poets, and Julie Harris made the person vivid and believable. The range of her acting talent was remarkable, as she went freely from light humor and delight to deep passion and excruciating emotional pain. And she relished in the fact that she was a nonconformist who disturbed the gossips around her.
Julie Harris Is Absolutely Superb
drednm21 March 2012
Julie Harris is one of our great acting talents and has been for about 60 or 70 years.
Here, she commands the stage in a one-woman play, inhabiting the soul of Emily Dickinson with humor, love, and rage. Harris is superb.
She tells the story of her small life in Amherst with bits and pieces of her iconic poetry. And in so doing she weaves a mesmerizing web of passion maybe unfulfilled, the life of a spinster in a small town in Massachusetts.
And yet the web she weaves is woven of gold and brilliant sunrises and beautiful sunsets. Her unfulfilled life is bursting with love and hope and the love of words.
Julie Harris is simply superb, summoning emotions with the flash of an eye, a flick of a faded shawl, making us a part of Dickinson's 19th-century life. She yearns for love and life and yet accepts life's limitations.
Whether Dickinson was a genius, a hermit, or an idiot savant doesn't really matter. The play and Harris are brimming with love and life.
Bravo to Julie Harris and Charles Nelson Reilly for this amazing treasure.
Here, she commands the stage in a one-woman play, inhabiting the soul of Emily Dickinson with humor, love, and rage. Harris is superb.
She tells the story of her small life in Amherst with bits and pieces of her iconic poetry. And in so doing she weaves a mesmerizing web of passion maybe unfulfilled, the life of a spinster in a small town in Massachusetts.
And yet the web she weaves is woven of gold and brilliant sunrises and beautiful sunsets. Her unfulfilled life is bursting with love and hope and the love of words.
Julie Harris is simply superb, summoning emotions with the flash of an eye, a flick of a faded shawl, making us a part of Dickinson's 19th-century life. She yearns for love and life and yet accepts life's limitations.
Whether Dickinson was a genius, a hermit, or an idiot savant doesn't really matter. The play and Harris are brimming with love and life.
Bravo to Julie Harris and Charles Nelson Reilly for this amazing treasure.
Incredible performance by a great American actress
nabucco7 August 2000
I had the pleasure of seeing Julie Harris perform this one-woman show back in 1975 in San Diego. Then, when this video came out (as part of Great Performances on PBS)I was thrilled to see how close it was in conveying the actual stage performance. This is a must for all teachers of American literature who want their students to get a sense of Dickinson.
Terribly moving.
WendyOh!21 June 2001
Thank God for Great Performances on PBS. They have brought us another gem in the form of Miss Julie Harris. She not only brings Emily Dickenson to life, she invites us in to live it with her. The joy and pain and all that, and it's REAL and moving and absolutely wonderful. Seek out this hard to find video, you will treasure it forever.
Remarkable
rcrank22 July 2020
I remember watching the PBS premiere of this a half-century ago. I loved it then and love it now. The play seems to capture the E.D. I subsequently learned of by reading multiple biographies.
As for this one-woman play ... it's as if Ms. Harris was destined for the role. I can't imagine any other actress in the role.
As for this one-woman play ... it's as if Ms. Harris was destined for the role. I can't imagine any other actress in the role.
Great Performances
bubu_6010 February 2006
I haven't seen this video, but I did see Julie Harris perform this role on stage in London many years ago. It is a fond and treasured memory. I'd love to own the video but can't seem to find it here in the UK. I became a Julie Harris fan after seeing her in East of Eden when I was a very young man. I love Emily Dickinson too so the combination of ED and JH is irresistible. I also saw her in Terence Rattigan's In Praise of Love, co starring with Rex Harrison, in New York in 1974. And I think her performance of Sally Bowles in the film of I Am A Camera is by far the best performance of that role. Although Judi Dench was pretty good in the musical Cabaret on stage in 1968 or thereabouts.
Brilliant production! Julie Harris is a marvel! My life is better for having seen this.
Sasha_Lauren3 May 2021
I recently watched an old Dick Cavett interview with the remarkable actress Julie Harris. At the time, (mid 1970s), Harris was starring in a one woman show about poet Emily Dickinson, who seems to have had a normal childhood, then took to being a recluse in her family home in Amherst, Massachusetts where she lived delightfully in her imagination; a poetic world unto herself.
I decided to watch this production, and am I ever glad I did! Written by William Luce, the script is extraordinary to begin with, added to which, Julie Harris gives a compelling, can't-look-away, virtuoso performance as Dickinson. Julie fully inhabits the role with a zesty masterful command of character and stage, providing many laugh-out-loud moments.
The audience is treated as though a guest in the Dickinson home as Emily shares her joys and challenges from the love of a sunset to her annoyance with the silly town gossips, whom she seems to take pleasure from egging on. Interwoven in the script, Julie as Emily recites some of her poems in such a brilliant way it was as if I was hearing them through a crystal lens for the first time. Ms. Harris won the Tony Award for this; no surprise as to why.
This wonderful production reminded me of everything I love about excellent stage writing and acting. I was entertained, educated, and my life is better for having watched this. Now I plan to see more projects penned by Luce and revisit some of Harris' roles. Charles Nelson Reilly was the artistic advisor.
I cannot recommend The Belle of Amherst highly enough.
I decided to watch this production, and am I ever glad I did! Written by William Luce, the script is extraordinary to begin with, added to which, Julie Harris gives a compelling, can't-look-away, virtuoso performance as Dickinson. Julie fully inhabits the role with a zesty masterful command of character and stage, providing many laugh-out-loud moments.
The audience is treated as though a guest in the Dickinson home as Emily shares her joys and challenges from the love of a sunset to her annoyance with the silly town gossips, whom she seems to take pleasure from egging on. Interwoven in the script, Julie as Emily recites some of her poems in such a brilliant way it was as if I was hearing them through a crystal lens for the first time. Ms. Harris won the Tony Award for this; no surprise as to why.
This wonderful production reminded me of everything I love about excellent stage writing and acting. I was entertained, educated, and my life is better for having watched this. Now I plan to see more projects penned by Luce and revisit some of Harris' roles. Charles Nelson Reilly was the artistic advisor.
I cannot recommend The Belle of Amherst highly enough.
Ouch...
gtaylor-1523 October 2005
This is the absolute worst play I've ever seen. The whole point to it was, "Yea lets get inside Emily Dickinson's head and learn more about her life". In that respect, its good, but its terribly done. You'll find yourself wondering why Julie Harris is yelling at you throughout the play. Yes that's right, whenever she has an emotional line, she tends to yell at the audience and scream her thoughts. Um...yea less of the crap and more of something productive. But, nevertheless, it never gets above the crap and I found myself crying at the end wondering: "WHY ME!!!???". So, if you're interested in seeing this play, I would highly encourage you to rethink your life and ask yourself, "Is 2 hours of pain really worth it???"
A great actress portrays a great poet
spiderwort30 January 2020
This sublime one-one show is without question one of Julie Harris' career best performances. She portrays multiple characters in it in addition to the enigmatic Emily Dickinson, and does it with a deftness and skill that at times takes one breath away. Any fan of Dickinson and/or Harris cannot afford to miss this compelling, beautiful work of art.
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