Stony Brook, NY - March 30, 2015 - April is National Poetry Month and the Ward Melville Heritage Organization is hosting a live dramatic performance showcasing iconic American poets, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, as well as a free art exhibit at their Educational & Cultural Center in Stony Brook Village. “Artists & Poets” will take place Sunday, April 19 from 2 pm to 5 pm, featuring Jean Linzee as Emily Dickinson and Darrel Blaine Ford as Walt Whitman.
A former Long Island biology teacher and world-traveled ornithologist, Darrel Blaine Ford not only has a striking physical resemblance to Walt Whitman but a personal affinity with him since childhood, when he was given a copy of “Leaves Of Grass” and was “hooked ever since.” He has been recreating Whitman’s persona for over 30 years and continues to maintain his legacy today by visiting schools and libraries as the famous poet. Jean Linzee is a Yale graduate and has taught English and Theatre at The Stony Brook School for over twenty years.
Her experience includes not only teaching but also acting, directing and writing. She has conceived, written and performed in many of her own one-woman shows, as well as William Luce’s "The Belle of Amherst," based on the life of Emily Dickinson, which she has performed in England, Poland, Switzerland and throughout the United States.
Her experience includes not only teaching but also acting, directing and writing. She has conceived, written and performed in many of her own one-woman shows, as well as William Luce’s "The Belle of Amherst," based on the life of Emily Dickinson, which she has performed in England, Poland, Switzerland and throughout the United States.
There will be a special interaction with the audience and the actors who will perform in an impromptu skit embodying the personas of Dickinson and Whitman as if they were meeting for the first time. The performance is $20 pp and will include refreshments. There will also be a free art exhibit on site including works by Pat Solan, Flo Kemp and members of the Stony Brook Photography Club. Additional dates for the free art exhibit are April 15, 16, 17, 18, 20 and 21.
For further information visit stonybrookvillage.com or call 631-689-5888.
