San Juan Community Theatre’s next Off the Rock! performance gives us an intimate glimpse into the mind, soul, humor and heart of a woman who was ahead of her time. The one-woman show about Emily Dickinson, The Belle of Amherst, will be presented in the Gubelman Theatre on Thursday and Friday, March 24-25 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the new contemporary performance series.

For more than 25 years now, actor/director Jane Fellows of Portland, Ore., has transformed into the poet, sharing Dickinson through her poems, insights and memories.

“Each time I have the opportunity to share this extraordinary woman and her journey with an audience, I am humbled by her genius and humanity, her insights and perceptions and her feisty non-conformist nature.”

One of America’s greatest poets was a recluse for much of her life. Through her poems, letters and accounts of visits with friends, this delightful and moving play was conceived and written by William Luce. As visitors in her parlor, the audience becomes part of Dickinson’s present time in 1883, in Amherst, Massachusetts.

A free “sneak peek” of Fellows’ performance will be held at the San Juan Island Library on Wednesday, March 23 at 7:00 p.m., followed by a short discussion with the actor/director.

Tickets for The Belle of Amherst are $15 for adults, $8 for student reserved, with $5 student RUSH at door only. Tickets are at www.sjctheatre.org or at the SJCT Box Office: 378-3210.