Stephen Collins mixed letters, poems and correspondence to come up with a one-man show that delighted and captivated the audience at the Camden Public Library.

Collins seems to have penetrated Whitman's soul.

Most startling is the freshness of Whitman's commentary on love, eroticism, patriotism and death and dying. Collins seems to maneuver his way through the gold mine of Whitman's writing, stitching it together from many sources, allowing us to see the heart and soul of Whitman.

What kept the audience enraptured by the performance is that Collins' illusion is complete. The suspension of disbelief is absolute. The actor disappeared, and we accepted that we were in the presence of Walt Whitman. There's magic for you.

 

-Marsha Sloan
Programs & Development Manager
Camden Public Library
Cammdenh, Maine