Because I Could Not Stop: An Encounter with Emily Dickinson

See it if a fan of Emily Dickinson's work, invested in 19th-to-mid-20th-century American history, unbothered by subpar storytelling if music delights.

Don't see it if expecting: riveting and historically-accurate performances; more than poetry set to music; a cohesive show: this relies on projections, too.

Also Because I Could Not Stop: An Encounter with Emily Dickinson has divine music. But there’s nothing exceptional about Angelica Page’s melodramatic Dickinson—subtle as a 1920s silent-film starlet. Plus, Dickinson had auburn, not dark, hair. The play is a promised fantasy: an evening with Dickinson, come back to tell us her history. Screen projections can be distracting, although I enjoyed the American history through the lens of Dickinson’s life. But instead of so much poetry, a monologue would have been fascinating—to hear Dickinson respond to the Civil War; her brother’s affair (which she and their sister Lavinia condoned); even her posthumous fame—that would have been illuminating. I love BICNS:AEwED’s idea: perhaps we are in that ambiguous “Eternity” and “Immortality” of “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and the speaker of that poem is Dickinson herself, recalling her life story. But I wanted more—not just verse I know well recited in an oftentimes disappointing delivery.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Emily Dickenson's poetry and chamber music.

Don't see it if you don't like poetry and Amy Beach's music.

Also I am not a poetry lover but I enjoyed this production. I loved Angelica Page's portrayal of Dickinson. The music was beautiful. The projected words were distracting and the music didn't embellish the words in any way. However, the complete production was a beautiful and lovely way to spend an evening.... Read more Read less

See it if You like chamber music, Emily Dickinson, the romance of poetry and classical music

Don't see it if You need a linear plot, classical chamber music and/or poetry bore you

See it if You love Emily Dickinson and Amy Beach. But don't expect the lovely music to enhance the poems. They each go their own way as do the videos.

Don't see it if You want either a recital or a poetry reading. Leaves you wanting more Dickinson poetry. You get beautiful music but the two do not mesh.

See it if You want to hear an extraordinary string quartet, piano, soprano, Dickinson poetry, and watch interesting slides

Don't see it if You expect a solid play or musical. This is more of a salon or musicale.

Also The acting is the least of the wonders of this show, which is not to say she was not good, it's just that the music is better. I am a classical musician and found the unabashedly Romantic music by Mrs. H.H.H. Beach/Amy Beach (and 1 by Ricky Ian Gordon) to be the real star with the poetry as a kind of commentary. The slides were creative and informative. All in all, an intelligent, classical music lover's ideal afternoon.... Read more Read less

See it if A good way to discover/understand a little about Emily Dickinson. The chamber music accompanying the play was suburb.

Don't see it if You are a restless person as it’s a little long and might be tedious for some.

See it if This is one for poetry fans, Dickinson in particular. An artist with remarkable talent, a tendency for morbid material,a flirtationwithdeath

Don't see it if You’re unmoved by poetry or disturbed by the notion of suicide as an inevitability in a woman’smind; a beautiful, fiercelytalented tragicfig

See it if Pedigreed princess Page mesmerizes in the uncertainty of her acting choices. On the same level as her "Edge" and "Torn Page."

Don't see it if Chambre music ensemble romantic concert series shares DNA w/ previous in same space.Extract Angelica and the others aren't distinguishable

See it if you enjoy unusual theater. This show combines acting with instrumental and vocal music and video to tell story of Dickinson's life.

Don't see it if you like a traditional telling of a story or you do not like classical music.

Also I saw 3 other productions of this company (Van Gogh, Tchaikovsky and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein). I gave these some of my highest ratings. The use of video in this show was not as effective as the other 3 and something about this production just didn't excite me. There was a flatness about this show, could be the subject who was not as dramatic as the other subjects in the past shows. I enjoyed this show for its creativity but it didn't match the past 3 productions I saw. Try to sit further back to see the effects of everything going on the stage (the video, acting and instrumental and vocal performances.... Read more Read less

See it if you're interested in Emily Dickinson and would like to hear beautiful music on stage. The music was just enchanting.

Don't see it if you want to see a traditional show. This is definitely outside of the box. Had potential but it was a little too slow for me.

Also The history of Emily Dickenson's life was very interesting but overall, the show was too slow for me. I found myself nodding off in the first act. Kudos to the musicians! The beautiful music was the highlight of the show for me.... Read more Read less

See it if You want a glimpse of Emily Dickinson’s life and writing. You are curious about the music of Amy Beach. You are open to unusual thoughts.

Don't see it if You don’t like 19th-century classical music. One-woman shows don’t interest you. You want action or love stories.

Also Probably not many people would come to a show that was billed as a recital of chamber music by 19th-century composer Amy Beach with recitations of Emily Dickinson poems in between the pieces... but that’s essentially what this show is. That is not a bad thing, by the way. And I’m not quite being fair; the evening is more than just that.

In the course of two acts the audience is treated to a view of Dickinson’s life and times — and works, of course, mostly posthumously published — in the person of Angelica Page, who flirts with the audience, recites her poems, and also sits musing and sewing and sighing while her fellow performers from Ensemble for a Romantic Century “say” musically what she perhaps never expressed out loud. The six musicians (and a page turner!) appear to embody Dickinson’s passionate inner life through their exquisitely skillful interpretations of Beach’s works, informative screen projections providing additional historical context.

YES, I loved it. Go see it.... Read more Read less

See it if You love classical music played by excellent musicians by a woman composer and the poetry of Emily Dickinson.

Don't see it if You get frustrated trying to figure out what it’s all about and what the focus is

See it if you enjoy experiencing different approaches to telling a story. The chamber music is exceptional, the story telling is weak.

Don't see it if you want or expect to see a traditional stage performance