By James V. Ruocco
Norman: "You want to know why I came back so fast? I got to the end of our lane. I couldn't remember where the old town road was. I went a little ways into the woods. There was nothing familiar. Not one damn tree. Scared me half to death. That's why I came running back here to you. So, I could see your pretty face and I could feel safe and that I was still me."
Ethel: "Noman Thayer, will you shut up? Your fascination with dying is beginning to frazzle my good humor."
Norman: "It's not a fascination. It just crosses my mind now and then."
Ethel: "Every five minutes. Don't you have something else to think about?"
Norman: "Nothing quite as interesting."
And so, it begins.
A nostalgic, bittersweet tale of life, of family and more importantly, of growing old, Ernest Thompson's celebrated 1979 play "On Golden Pond," first produced on Broadway at the New Apollo Theatre with a fiercely dedicated cast that included Tom Aldredge, Frances Sternhagen and Barbara Andres, replays the familiar story of Norman and Ethel Thayer, an elderly, longtime married couple who have returned to their New England lakeside cottage of 48 years to spend yet another summer fishing, reading, reminiscing, gathering strawberries and enjoying the comforting sounds of the loons in the distance grounds and waters of their comfy Maine retreat.
However, with the arrival of their troubled 42-year-old daughter Chelsea, her new dentist boyfriend/fiancée Bill and his 13-year-old son Billy Ray Jr., conflicts are established, conversations become strained and the sudden realization that death may very well take Norman away, fuel and ignite this iconic comedy-drama with an emotional thrust and sentiment that breathes newfound life into its inspired, lovingly crafted character study.
Thompson, as playwright, articulates his narrative with heightened awareness, savvy accompaniment and ideally flexed humor and release to illustrate the fine points, the consequences, the philosophies and the intimacies that rock and spark his oft-produced play text.
As "On Golden Pond" evolves, he gives enough information and backstory to fully understand what's going on, scene by scene, act by act, month by month. Moreover, he writes from the heart. His plot details and characterizations intrigue, delight and surprise. His verbiage is natural and well observed. He never loses sight of the humanity within each of his characters. His play is full of sentences, one-liners, jokes and comebacks that would make great stand-alone quotes. There's also enough delicateness and conflict within the piece to shake you up, bruise your heart and perhaps even shed a tear or two. Not to mention several reflections about the realities of growing old that may or may not be based on the playwright's actual parents, Esther and Theron Thompson.
In short, what's not to like or admire?
Forty-four years after its Broadway debut, "On Golden Pond" loses none of its charm, its immediacy, its command, its clash or its undeniable poignancy.
It is delicately poetic.
It trickles with imagination and purpose.
It holds up a mirror to the elderly with respectful framing and accent.
It digs into familiar terrain with apt putdown and bone-dry reflection.
It is also emboldened by an alertness and energy that makes every moment count.
At Ivoryton Playhouse, Thompson's thoughtful, determined comedy-drama is given a first-class treatment that smartly counterbalances the play's theories, ideas, events, sense of fun and its artfully arranged dance of life and its aching, uncertain future and dissolve.
Played out against Marcus Abbott's atmospheric set - an impressive, handsome, lived-in habitat adorned with a vintage, late 1970's Better Homes and Gardens rustic ambiance - "On Golden Pond" arms its audience with a dancing intelligence and warmth that befits and complements the environs of this inviting, immersive venue.
This production is being staged by Brian J. Feehan whose directorial credits include "The 39 Steps" and the Ivoryton Playhouse incarnations of "The Fantasticks," "Tenderly," "Burt & Me" and "Native Gardens." Directorially, the play's ingredients are validated with range and connection by Feehan, suffused with rich concentration on wordplay, interaction, evolvement, eclipse and evaluation.
There's lots going on, but the real satisfaction comes from how assuredly he paces the play, how he creates and emphasizes key moments, small moments, observations, pauses, first words, last words, exits, entrances and more importantly, the playwright's fluent, erupting crescendos of memory, sensibility, discovery and consequence.
It's all beautifully rehearsed, acted and pieced together with an onstage honesty, charm and blossoming that serves the material and the actors well as "On Golden Pond" inches toward its bittersweet, justifiable, tearful conclusion.
"On Golden Pond" stars James Naughton as Norman Thayer, Mia Dillon as Ethel Thayer, Stacie Morgain Lewis as Chelsea, Josh Powell as Bill Ray, Sabatino Cruz as Billy Jay, Jr. and Will Clark as Charlie.
The ideal actor to play the lead role of Norman Thayer, James Naughton delivers a strong, passionate, likeable performance that is very much the heart and soul of Thompson's amusing, substantial memory play. He tosses off the play's comic dialogue with laidback wit and intelligence. His droll, deadpan expressions are amusingly rendered. He connects wholeheartedly to the material before him. He also projects the image of someone who has navigated through the difficulties and joys of life with a steadfast proudness that even in the wake of adversity, allows him to stand tall and face the challenges that tomorrow may or may not bring.
They don't come any finer than Mia Dillon, an accomplished, award-winning actress who always goes the extra mile in comedies and dramas that showcase her marvelous range of talent including "Seder," "Crime of the Heart," "Cloud Nine," "The Miser," "4000 Miles" and "Agnes of God." Here, she brings depth, radiance and sweetness to the part of Ethel Thayer, handling the role with the warmth and tenderness envisioned by Thompson when he first created the role for the original Broadway production. On stage at Ivoryton, Dillon also brings just the right amount of poignancy and amusement to her many scenes with the equally talented Naughton. Their pairing - a winning combination - is absolutely perfect.
The part of Norman's estranged daughter Chelsea is played perfectly by Stacie Morgain Lewis, a charismatic actress who's such a natural fit for the role, she pretty much owns every scene she appears in. She also makes it known - great dramatic acting on her part - why she calls her father by his name Norman, rather than just Dad.
Sabatino Cruz, as the free-thinking Billy Ray, Jr., invests his role with a refreshing context and manner that brings genuine sprit, spunk and personality to the part of the young man who becomes Norman's new friend and fishing partner. The chemistry between him and Naughton is one of the many high points of this staging.
As Charlie, the overly cheery mail carrier who once dated the Thayer's daughter Chelsea, Will Clark is a likeable sort with a purposely loud, affecting laugh that he orchestrates with an "Odd Couple" glint, spark and gait that makes his onstage moments resonate with bumptious rapture. In the role of Billy Ray, Chelsea's dentist fiancée, Josh Powell plays his important, underwritten role with comfortable collectiveness, wit and nicely orchestrated reactiveness.
No comments:
Post a Comment