A play for all ages
0 comments
WHAT: On Golden Pond
WHEN: 8 p.m. Aug. 14-16, 21 and 23 and 2 p.m. Aug. 17 and 24
WHERE: Playmakers Civic Theatre, 604 W. 6th St., Port Clinton
COST: $12 for adults, $10 for children and seniors
INFO: The Playmakers Civic Theatre Box office, 419- 734-5044
When organizers of the Playmakers Civic Theater decided to stage the popular Ernest Thompson play “On Golden Pond,” veteran director and theater assistant Nadine Jensen felt like she was going home again.
“In 1982, ‘On Golden Pond’ was the first show I ever directed,” said Jensen, a 1967 Port Clinton High School graduate. “So I wanted to do it again because it’s a great play. Of course we’re doing it in the summertime and ‘On Golden Pond’ is set during the summertime at a summer cottage in Maine.
“I thought it was very appropriate for our summer slot. It’s just simply a show I know and love. I call it a comedy with a message. It’s filled with family love, conflict, tradition, and it’s just a wonderfully written play.”
The final production of the Playmakers Civic Theater’s 61st season, “On Golden Pond” revolves around senior citizens Ethel and Norman Thayer, who receive a visit from their daughter Chelsea, her fiancé Bill and his son Billy. The play was turned into a 1981 Academy Award-winning feature film, starring Henry and Jane Fonda in the father-daughter roles, with Katharine Hepburn as Ethel.
While strained relationships between parents and children are nothing new, this story, cast in the shadow of baby boomers with WWII-era parents, hit home with audiences who related to their own families. There was also a voyeuristic element that allowed people to peak into the real-life storyline of Henry Fonda and his distant daughter Jane.
As if “On Golden Pond” needed any more appeal, there is something special about this play being produced in a touristy area like the Go Coast where for generations people have come to enjoy youth, life and retirement in a similarly natural setting.
“A lot of people say that, and I think that’s very pertinent,” Jensen said. “I think there are a lot of people in this community that would feel that way. That it would invoke very personal memories for them.”
Naturally, Jensen, who over the past quarter of a century has been involved with over 60 Playmakers Civic Theater productions, is quite excited about her second go around with “On Golden Pond.”
“I think it would be worthwhile to see ‘On Golden Pond’ again because it is a timeless classic,” Jensen said. “We have wonderful actors that will be portraying these great characters in Don Doell, Jan Huston, Jan Baker, Steve Heineman, Keith Fisher and Owen Stranathan. And of course, good plays need to be seen and produced over and over again.”
This plays perfectly into what Jensen feels is the role Playmakers Civic Theater holds within the Ottawa and Erie County areas.
“There are many people who don’t have the opportunity to go to Cleveland or Toledo or Columbus to see live theater,” Jensen said. “In some cases, the only live theater that some of our locals get to see is at Playmakers. So I think that’s important. It’s also important for its social aspect. We have participants in Playmakers from all walks of life – doctors, dentists, lawyers, painters and construction workers.
“So a lot of people come together and become friends and work together for the love of theater to do good theater.