Facing one’s mortality and making peace with those toward whom we’re unsettled is healthy at any age, but it is especially so as we get up in years. That’s the lesson from Vintage Theatre’s current production of Ernest Thompson’s “On Golden Pond.”
Norman Thayer (Mike Pearl), a retired English professor, and his wife, Ethel (Anne Oberbroeckling), have just returned to their summer home of 48 years, where they struggle with Norman’s fading memory and health issues.
During their respite, they reconnect with their daughter, Chelsea, meet her new love interest, Bill, and his teenage son, Billy, and reminisce with the local mailman, Charlie, an old family friend and Chelsea’s one-time boyfriend.
Thompson was only 28 years old when he wrote this play, but his insights into intergenerational dynamics are delightful. Pearl and Oberbroeckling’s natural chemistry creates a warm and humorous centerpiece for this poignant tale.
Pearl weaves together the cantankerous Norman’s burgeoning senility, persnickety grammar, glaring bigotries and wicked wit into a seamless and darkly comedic portrait. Oberbroeckling deftly tempers Ethel’s sensitivity and exuberance with a potent streak of wisdom capable of managing Norman’s rough edges.
Aside from Norman’s fixation on his imminent demise, the old fellow has a bad habit of putting people down, especially his daughter. Abby Apple Boes eases Chelsea’s pain from her father’s barbs with a wry and world-weary sense of humor.
When Chelsea and Norman trade volleys, the WASPish emotional restraint is palpable; though, when Chelsea’s resentment toward her mother boils over, such restraint seems unnatural and belies the physical connection between mother and daughter.
Ian Frazier’s Billy enjoys a playful, and at times brash, interplay with Norman, providing the octogenarian with the son he never had, opening the door for Norman’s reconciliation with Chelsea.
Dixon White mines a genial vein as the hapless Charlie who, with support from Ethel, is able to deflect Norman’s acerbic taunts; on the flip side, White is equally convincing expressing deep sorrow when it becomes clear that Charlie’s longing for Chelsea is unrequited.
Ken Paul smoothly navigates the challenge of Bill as a man out of his element, an urban professional uncomfortable in the rustic setting; but, when Bill asserts himself after being put down by Norman, the blocking feels disconnected from the emotions of the scene. The effect minimizes the physical differences between the virile Bill and the brittle Norman and makes Bill seem an inadequate husband for Chelsea.
Despite a few distractions, in an age when our elders are all too often marginalized for our emotional and economic convenience, Thompson’s thoughtful, funny and poignant meditation on aging provides a number of truths that offer an upbeat take on later life.
Bob Bows also reviews theater for KUVO/89.3 FM and for his own website, . He can be reached at bbows@coloradodrama.com.
“On Golden Pond” **1/2 (out of four stars)
Comedy-Drama. Presented by Vintage Theatre, 2119 E. 17th Ave. Written by Ernest Thompson. Directed by Peter Hughes. Starring Mike Pearl and Anne Oberbroeckling, with Dixon White, Abby Apple Boes, Ian Frazier and Ken Paul. 2 hours, 10 minutes. Through Sept. 19. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays. $23 at the door, $18 in advance. 303 -839-1361 or
This week’s theater openings
“Always, Patsy Cline” This intimate musical chronicles the true story between Patsy Cline and a fan who befriends the star and corresponds with her until her death. Songs include “I Fall To Pieces,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “Crazy.” Through Sept. 24. Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, 1025 Grand Ave., Grand Lake, 970-627-3421 or
“Creative Solutions” Stories on Stage is an series that features themed programs in which excerpts of short stories and essays are read. This time, SOS opens its 10th anniversary season (and first under artistic director Anthony Powell) with a silly and serious evening addressing the question, “How should I spend the rest of my life?” That’s one that keeps most of us yearning, churning, running around and wondering. Stories to be read aloud: “The Football Story,” by E.A. Durand, read by Larry Paulsen; “A Piece of Pie,” by Damon Runyon, read by Frank Corrado; “The Valetudinarian,” by Joshua Ferris, read by Kathy Brady; and “One Dog Year” by Kevin Moffett, read by Philip Pleasants. Sunday, Aug. 29 only.
Presented by Stories on Stage at the Stage Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 303-494-0523 or
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s retelling of the Old Testament story of Jacob and his 12 sons. Joseph is the favorite son, so his jealous brothers sell Joseph into slavery. However, Joseph overcomes the odds to become a high-ranking official under the Egyptian Pharaoh, in large part thanks to his ability to interpret dreams. After many years, he is finally reunited with his family. The musical is a winking, high-energy romp with a score that incorporates pop, country, reggae, vaudeville and rockabilly. Through Oct. 24: Presented by Jesters Dinner Theatre, 224 Main St., Longmont, 303-682-9980 or
“Little Shop of Horrors” The popular musical about Audrey, Seymour … and a plant that threatens to eat the world.
Through Aug. 29. Presented by Inspire Creative at the Parker Mainstreet Center, 19650 E. Main St., Parker, 303-790-0875 or
“Oliver” Musical adaptation of Charles Dickens, “Oliver Twist,” the story of the street urchin who dared to ask for more. Songs include “Food, Glorious Food” and “Consider Yourself.” Through Oct. 24. Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, 4747 Market Place Drive, Johnstone, 970-744-3747, 1- 877-240-4242 or
“Reefer Madness, the Musical” This raucous musical parody is inspired by the infamous 1938 propaganda film of the same name. It takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the hysteria caused when clean-cut kids fall prey to marijuana, leading them on a downward spiral filled with sex, violence and jazz music! Through Set 17. Presented by Equinox Theatre Company at the Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo St., 720-434-5245 or
“The Robber Bridegroom” This bluegrass musical comedy, loosely based on the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale, is a Southern folk fable set in Mississippi. Wealthy planter Clement Mustered has a home on the Notches Trace, where he lives with his daughter, Rosamund, and wicked second wife, Salem. The gentleman robber Jamie Lockhart kidnaps Rosamund, and the two quickly fall in love. Moonshine and mayhem ensue. Through Set. 5. Crested Butte Mountain Theatre, 403 Second St., 970-349-0366 or
“Showtune: Celebrating the Words and Music of Jerry Herman” This revue incorporates iconic tunes from shows including “Hello, Dolly!” “Came” and “La Cage ax Folies.” Through Set. 25. Presented by Spotlight Theatre at the John Hand Theatre, 7653 E. First Place, 720-880-8727 or
Compiled by John Moore
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