By Whitney Sorensen
With its small cast in a cozy theatre, the Pleasant Grove Players’ production of Ernest Thompson’s On Golden Pond in Pleasant Grove encourages introspection as much as it encourages laughter. Husband-and-wife directing team Howard and Kathryn Little let the simplicity of On Golden Pond speak for itself by keeping the focus on strong actor performances. In doing so, they’ve created a performance that fits the needs of the family-focused Utah Valley community.
The play is inherently dialogue driven, taking place entirely in the front room of Norman and Ethel Thayer’s summer home on the shores of Golden Pond, Maine. Through the fourth wall, the audience peeks in on many private moments between Norman (Dennis Purdie) and Ethel (Kathryn Laycock Little) before and after meeting their mailman, Charlie (Joey Balmforth); their daughter, Chelsea (Kristen Leigh Metzger); her boyfriend, Bill Ray (Matthieu C. Kohl); and his son, Billy Ray (Luke Elison).
Before the show began, my friend and I gazed over the curtain-less stage and got acquainted with the setting. Costume and props designer Tina Fontana sets the stage with the kinds of books and decor that seem most at home in any grandparent’s residence, such as leather-bound volumes of classic books and painted wood crafts. The dated wallpaper and furniture also felt just right, each element of the stage offering more in terms of function than fanciness. I appreciated that Fontana’s costumes also felt simple so I wasn’t distracted from the rapid lines delivered by the actors. Norman in a bow tie, Billy in a T-shirt, and Ethel in a bathrobe seemed natural but not memorable (and I mean that as a compliment).
It’s fitting that the opening and closing scenes feature Norman and Ethel alone. An enduring, 50-year love story like theirs is a rarity to see onstage, but both Purdie and Little exhibit the hardship and devotion required to keep a relationship like that alive.
Purdie as Norman puts his own spin on the character that won Henry Fonda an Academy Award for Best Actor. Purdie’s physical acting as he tries on hats and examines shelf trinkets in the first scene artfully displays Norman’s crotchety yet endearing manner. I drew upon those memories in later moments when Norman’s less attractive traits come to the forefront. Purdie is exceptionally skilled at delivering the deadpan dialogue required from no-nonsense Norman, but he can switch from drawing laughs to eliciting tears in less than the blink of an eye, sweeping the audience along in his emotional journey.
Kathryn Little as Norman’s loving and slightly eccentric wife, Ethel, plays her role with a sense of awe and an indefatigable joy. Little’s Ethel has many moments of childlike innocence, but you never doubt that loyalty to Norman and Chelsea serve as her driving force. Little shows the depth of Ethel’s feeling in the small moments–a brief frustrated glance at Norman who interferes with her efforts to winterize the home before they depart or a tension-breaking question after she and Chelsea conclude a difficult conversation. As much as Norman is the central character and the backbone of On Golden Pond, Little’s performance made it clear to me that the play would not work without Ethel’s generosity on ample display.
The supporting cast of characters all have their moments to shine as well. Balmforth as mailman Charlie gives the audience a fuller picture of everyday life on Golden Pond, but he’s much more than comic relief. I was particularly moved as he discussed his long-ago relationship with Chelsea and the torch for her he can never quite extinguish. Balmforth doesn’t draw undue attention to those lines, and in being subtle, he makes his character more real and relatable.
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As for Norman and Ethel’s extended family, Metzger’s Chelsea physically embodies the conflict that comes as almost a natural byproduct of parent-to-child love. Her body appears physically tense with every step she takes, and she can’t seem to get comfortable in a place that should feel like home. In contrast, her boyfriend Bill Ray, as played by Kohl, walks with plenty of confidence and even finds the gumption to stand up to Norman during their first meeting. That said, I loved the feeling I experienced knowing that Norman would have the last word in that conversation, and I wish there had been a little less overlap between Norman’s punchline and the other actors returning to stage.
Last but not least in the cast, Elison’s Billy Ray walks with twice the confidence of his dad and deservedly so: he always seems like Norman’s equal, despite their six-decade age difference. I found myself hoping for more stage time and dialogue for Elison. His youth played beautifully off of Purdie’s maturity, and it was a delight to see him hold his own with two stage veterans.
This production of On Golden Pond is put on at the Keith Christeson Little Theater in the basement of the Pleasant Grove Library. It’s right off of Center Street, and there’s ample parking in the back. It’s more than worth the price of admission. I recommend the play for ages 13 and up. If you’ve seen the 1981 film and weren’t a huge fan of the amount of curse words, know that they’ve toned down the language somewhat in this production without undercutting too much of the heart or the humor.
Pleasant Grove Players present On Golden Pond by Ernest Thompson
Keith Christeson Little Theater, Pleasant Grove Library, 30 E Center Street in Pleasant Grove
October 13-14, 16, 19-21, 23, 26-28, 30 7:30 PM; Matinee October 28 3:00 PM
Tickets: $8-10
Contact: 801-850-2306
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