What People Are Saying
“Rose’s performance of Reigning Belle was outstanding. The audience was enthralled and inspired. I highly recommend The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region.”
“This quietly moving account of a daring turn-of-the-century choice in marriage by a wellheeled though late-blooming daughter of a noted Bluegrass family reveals a courageous struggle against prejudice, tradition, and family politics against our own region’s dicey past…..The newly minted one-woman show was performed with dignity and aplomb by gifted Chicago actress and writer, Rose Buckner…. granddaughter of the show’s central protagonist. I for one was thoroughly charmed by the slightly longer than one-hour performance. Others present clearly were, as well. I hope all socially aware lovers of the living stage….will one day have an opportunity to view this striking new work….It was an opus of poignant joy.”
“Rose Buckner’s solo play, The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region, is unlike any performance we’ve held at our library. Patrons were engaged from the opening line and by intermission fully invested in the outcome of Olivia Buckner’s story. The Question-and-Answer portion after the play was delightful as the audience was able to discover more about Rose’s connection to the story and her playwriting process.”
“Reigning Belle is terrific. It deals with so many issues that are apropos now. I was captivated throughout and moved by the story.”
“Rose Buckner’s one woman performance is a captivating experience. Buckner shares an amazing story inspired by real events that engages the audience to consider themes including defying societal expectations, racial prejudice, and gender norms. Reigning Belle is a moving show that will remain on audiences’ minds long after they view the performance.”
“I had to write to say how much I enjoyed The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region. The characters were complex and interesting people. The words you crafted brought vivid pictures in my imagination…What a lovely work you created.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed Rose’s show, The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region. She is a superb actress.“
“Rose Buckner creates a captivating experience from beginning to end. Belle’s journey is fascinating and Rose brings history to life through painstaking research and a beautiful, gentle performance. I left feeling honored to be offered such a thoughtful, intimate view into this unique story.”
“Rose has taken me to an era I’ve never experienced. I could feel the emotions of her family and the beauty of our nation in that time. I also felt the racial tension that is still alive in our country today….This is a must see one woman performance.”
“This play has everything: romance, intrigue, conflict, and beauty. While it takes place more than 100 years ago, it reminds us we are no different today than we were 100 years ago. Rose transports us easily back to the days of a simpler life in Kentucky. The picture is so vivid I would swear I was there.”
“What an impressive performance! Suddenly we became part of an American family history including all the twists and turns of forbidden love which continues to be relevant today. Rose Buckner is incredibly talented in this special solo play.”
“The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region….embodies the universal and seemingly timeless procession of intolerance, of belonging and not belonging, brought home in the life of a spirited young woman, a cosmopolitan (literally, a citizen of the world) who collides with small-town bigotry and entrenched custom and not-so-gentle tyrannies of class. Ultimately, it is about the barriers people create to deny their common humanity and the possible triumph of transcendent love. This play strikes home because Rose and Olivia Buckner remind us not only of our ancestors’ shortcomings but of our own in what we witness on the news each day. It zings.”
“I absolutely loved this play! I was drawn in from the very beginning. It’s engaging, creative, entertaining and beautifully brought to life by Rose.”
“Rose Buckner’s recent performance of The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region was nothing short of magical. Rose very personally shared the riveting story of her grandmother, a gutsy woman who defied expectations yet at the same time managed to embrace both sense and sensibility, providing all members of the audience with a solid example of strength, resilience and growth….I heartily recommend The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region!”
“Rose Buckner’s embodiment of her grandmother, Olivia Buckner, is both courageous and poignant. She captivates the audience with a story that still resonates today, more than a century later. The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region is not to be missed!”
“From the moment Rose Buckner entered the room, she ceased to exist, and I was swept into the world of a young girl from Paris, Kentucky. I found myself sharing her range of emotions, laughing one moment, feeling the pangs of sorrow or disappointment another. A beautiful performance….”
“Rose Buckner’s solo performance of her elegant creation, The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region, reveals her remarkable and diverse balance of intellectual, psychosocial, and theatrical genius that exposes even the most critical audience to a diverse range of emotive and meaningful experiences…..This story, and Ms. Buckner’s eloquent and seasoned performance will be added to lists of never-forgotten experiences of those in attendance.”
“Throughout my four decades of teaching literature and ethics, I sought material that would engage my students in meaningful discussions about their lives. I hoped that their reading and writing would inspire them to see themselves in a fresh light. Rose Buckner’s play The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region, does just this. Her protagonist, Olivia, is strong and straightforward in her beliefs and action and she grows as she is confronted with the realities of her life….I would love to teach this play……The strength of the writing, along with Buckner’s dynamic presence as an actor, would make her an outstanding guest artist for any organization.”
“Playwright and actor Rose Buckner held my interest from the moment she entered talking to the audience through the closing lines of The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region. With minimal props and a simple, evocative costume, Rose brings to life her grandmother’s remarkable journey….She incorporates the subtle and overt racism the inter-racial couple and their young son encounter, sounding notes we still hear today….Reigning Belle is at times quite somber and at others quite humorous. The play paints a captivating picture of life more than a century ago, a life whose themes are still relevant today.”
Rose Buckner’s one-woman show, inspired by the true story of a Kentucky aristocrat who married a prominent Japanese minister in 1903, offers a unique and entertaining experience. The performance is well-executed, maintaining a balanced pacing that keeps the audience engaged. Buckner’s Kentucky accent lends authenticity to the narrative, enhancing the overall storytelling of this unconventional story.