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Playing solitary

By Josh Kegley jkegley@herald-leader.com

American poet Emily Dickinson lived a solitary and reclusive life. It seems only appropriate, then, that the play about her life is a one-woman show.

The Belle of Amherst, which was written by playwright William Luce and earned a Tony Award for best actress for Julie Harris in 1976, will be performed at Berea Arena Theater this weekend. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the SaraCare fund, a non-profit organization that seeks to improve the lives of those touched by childhood cancer.

In the Berea production, Dickinson will be portrayed by Pamela D. Chabora, a graduate of Berea College, professor at North Dakota State University and professional actress. This summer, Chabora acted in Hatfields and McCoys, an outdoor musical drama at Theatre West Virginia.

"Pam and I have known each other since our Berea College days," said Eddie Kennedy, owner of Berea Arena and co-founder of SaraCare. "When she was wrapping up her season, she came through Berea to visit, and that's when she found out about Sara."

In 2005, Kennedy's 18-year-old daughter Sara died of a rare and aggressive form of cancer. He and his wife, Norma, started SaraCare the next day. The organization's first task was to put TVs in every room of Kentucky Children's Hospital, where Sara was treated.

"When a child is ill, a TV can take you to another world and another place for a little bit," Kennedy said. "It is a nice distraction from all the medical dilemmas."

The organization also works with other hospitals and individual families, such as by providing gas cards and paying rent for parents who miss work to stay with sick children. Most funds are raised at yearly SaraCare benefits. Some are brought in by donations and other events.

When Chabora learned of Sara's death, "she offered to donate her time and talent to raise some money for us," Kennedy said.