I love live theatre. And, I love doing things with my parents. So, last week, I “played hooky” from work for most of a day, Mom and Dad came to my house for lunch (thanks, Ernie, at Meat the Butcher for the lasagna), we went to the Drayton Festival Theatre’s afternoon performance of “On Golden Pond” and then had supper at Al Jerky’s (thanks, Lorri, for the chicken wings). It was a wonderful day.
It seems fitting that the 20th anniversary season of the Drayton Festival Theatre is being kicked off by one of the most beloved stories of all time. Most everyone has probably seen “On Golden Pond” -- but it’s well worth the drive to Drayton to see it again. It’s only playing until June 26, though, so you’d better get yourselves tickets.
Audiences around the globe have embraced “On Golden Pond” – “the story of retired New England professor and lovable curmudgeon, Norman Thayer and his spirited wife Ethel who in the twilight years of a long-lasting marriage decide to visit the family’s lakeside cottage in Maine for one final summer of rest and relaxation. Their plans are soon interrupted by the arrival of their daughter Chelsea who leaves behind her fiancé’s young son while she embarks on a European vacation, thus requiring the elderly pair to navigate the generation gap through tart-tongued observations on fishing, literature, slang, marriage… and even their own mortality.”
The roles of Norman and Ethel were, of course, made famous by Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn in the movie which, I think, won an Academy Award for Fonda and a Golden Globe for Hepburn as well as a mitt full of other accolades. There was also a television movie version with Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews, two off-Broadway stage productions and numerous regional and amateur productions. In Drayton Ian Downie is perfect as Norman; Linda Goranson brings “warmth and wit” to Ethel.
In a press release for the play, Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment says the “small, yet powerful cast of talented actors… captivate audiences through their funny yet poignant performances… ‘On Golden Pond’ covers the gamut of human emotion. There are some brilliant comic turns balanced with moments of heartwarming tenderness.”
He is certainly right – one moment you’re laughing out loud, especially at Norman’s curmudgeonly ways and interaction with Ethel, the young Billy Ray (played by Logan Bennett of Elora), Chelsea (played by Susie Burnett), Chelsea’s fiancé (played by Lee McDougall) or Stuart Dowling as mailman Charlie Martin.  The next minute you have a lump in your throat.
The set and lighting is absolutely wonderful  -- Stephen Regenstein creates the comfortable feel of a lakeside cottage perfectly.
As mentioned, “On Golden Pond” plays eight shows a week through June 26. Tickets may be purchased through the Drayton Entertainment Box Office at 9519) 638-5555 or toll free at 1-888-449-4463. I’d highly recommend kicking off your summer theatre by attending.