Theatre Tuscaloosa is presenting the dramatic comedy On Golden Pond by Earnest Thompson on February 25-March 6 in the Bean-Brown Theatre on the Martin Campus of Shelton State Community College (9500 Old Greensboro Road, Tuscaloosa, AL 35405).
This classic play inspired the Academy Award-winning film with Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn. Norman Thayer is a curmudgeon with a strained relationship with his daughter, Chelsea. Together for their 48th summer at Golden Pond, he and his wife nevertheless agree to care for Billy, the son of Chelsea's fiancé, and a most unexpected relationship blooms.
“It’s a beautiful story that reminds us that although life is complicated and ephemeral, we should take the opportunities to hold space for one another and to love even when we don’t feel loving,” said Executive Producer Tina Turley. “I think On Golden Pond is a timeless play about family and relationships, and it speaks to me every time I read it.”
The show is directed by Theatre Tuscaloosa’s Artistic Director Emeritus Paul Looney, who returns to lead the show in honor of the theatre’s 50th anniversary.
“We're so lucky he wanted to sit in the director chair once again. He leverages his keen insights into stories and characters to tease out nuances of emotions and humanity,” said Dianna Brown Shaw, who is taking on the role of matriarch to the Thayer family, Ethel. She has previously worked with Looney in To Kill a Mockingbird and The Glass Menagerie. “I've been off the stage for a long time to focus on learning the ropes of directing and doing the behind the scenes work of Theatre Tuscaloosa's board of directors, and this particular play–with this great cast and this wonderful director and crew–it was just irresistible.”
Other cast members include Gary Wise as the curmudgeon “Norman Thayer, Jr.” and Lisa Waldrop Shattuck as their daughter “Chelsea Thayer Wayne.” Chelsea’s fiance and his son are played by real-life father-son duo Brent and Baker Jones, and Cooper Shattuck joins the cast as a long-time family friend to the Thayers.
The show is stage-managed by Charles Prosser, with scenic design by Lynne Hutton, costume design by Jeanette Waterman, and lighting and sound design by Wheeler Kincaid.
Performances will be held in the Bean-Brown Theatre on Friday, February 25 and Saturday, February 26 at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, February 27 at 2:00 p.m. Performances are also held on Wednesday, March 2 at 2:00 p.m., Thursday and Friday March 3 & 4 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday March 5 & 6 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $19 for adults, $17 for seniors, members of the military, and Shelton State employees, and $14 for students and children. Special rates are available for groups of ten or more, and for Shelton State students, if tickets are purchased in advance.
This show is produced with the sponsorship of Afflink, Alabama Public Radio, the City of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa Radio, and WVUA 23, and with the support of Shelton State Community College, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Our signature sponsors are Claire Friday and Drs. Ralph and April Lane.