POETRY NEWS - AMHERST, MA

Before You Became Improbable returns September 17-19 and 24-26  "A unique, phenomenal, and deeply treasured experience." - Len Berkman, Smith College Professor of Theater  AMHERST, MA - It took eight years of correspondence before Thomas Wentworth Higginson arrived in  Amherst to meet his elusive advisee, Emily Dickinson. Before You Became Improbable reimagines the day of that meeting, offering audience members an encounter with her words and poems in a remarkably personal theatrical experience. This immersive journey returns to the Emily Dickinson Museum in September after a sold-out 2014 run.     Before You Became Improbable is not a stationary production, but a walking theatrical journey throughout downtown Amherst, en route to the Dickinson grounds.  Equipped with a special pair of headphones, audience members are guided carefully through the show, following a path visible to only them, leading them through a series of compelling encounters. The journey ends in the Dickinson parlor, where participants gather to share insights and experiences with the playwright and each other. Tickets can be reserved here. Before You Became Improbable is written and directed by Amherst Regional High School Performing Arts Department Head John Bechtold and produced by Wendy Kohler and the Emily Dickinson Museum. It runs Thursday through Saturday (with a Sunday rain date) September 17-19 and September 24-26, with one or two participants departing every four minutes between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Emily Dickinson Museum, located at 280 Main Street in downtown Amherst. Designed as an experience for two people at a time, audience participants should come prepared with comfortable shoes, the willingness to walk for much of the show, and a venturesome spirit.   DETAILS   Directed by John Bechtold Produced by Wendy Kohler and the Emily Dickinson Museum Location: Begins and ends at the Emily Dickinson Museum, 280 Main Street, Amherst, MA Time: September 17-19 (rain date September 20) and September 24-26 (rain date September 27) Participants begin the journey in pairs leaving every four minutes between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Cost:$35 per person ($25 museum members), $15 students To make reservations, visit our reservations page . For more information:  call 413-542-2034 or email EDMprograms@EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org    About the Emily Dickinson Museum The Emily Dickinson Museum: The Homestead and The Evergreens is dedicated to educating diverse audiences about the poet's life, family, creative work, times, and enduring relevance, and to preserving and interpreting the Homestead and The Evergreens as historical resources for public and academic enrichment.   The Emily Dickinson Museum is owned by the Trustees of Amherst College and overseen by a separate Board of Governors. The Museum is responsible for raising its own operating and capital funds. The Emily Dickinson Museum is a member of Museums10, a collaboration of ten museums linked to the Five Colleges in the Pioneer Valley--Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  www.EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org                    Emily Dickinson Museum 280 Main Street, Amherst Massachusetts 01002 | 413-542-8161 | info@EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org