"On Golden Pond" is best remembered as the last great movie in the 
illustrious careers of Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn.  But, like 
so many films that qualify you as being "cultured" for seeing them, 
OGP was based on a theatrical play, this one by Ernest Thompson, now 
playing through next Sunday at the Gainesville Community Playhouse.

OGP is the story of one summer--in a lifetime of summers--for a couple
in the winter of their lives.  For those of you who went to see 
"Jaws 4" instead of OGP when it was in theaters, I'll 
restate that:  There's these 2 old people who go to their house in 
Maine and do stuff.

Actually, when you get down to it, there isn't much of a plot 
at all in this play.  It's really more of a snapshot of a few months 
in the lives of two people who are approaching the end of the photo 
album, so to speak.  There are a few conflicts and sub-plots, but not 
enough time is spent building them up to get the audience emotionally 
involved.

Norman and Ethel Thayer are an elderly couple returning to their 
summer home in Maine for the 45th year.  Norman is a curmudgeonly 
character whose favorite pasttime is talking about his own mortality; 
Ethel is a significantly more vibrant person who likes to walk in the 
woods and pick strawberries, and tries to get her husband to do the 
same.  Over the course of the summer, they get a visit from their 
semi-estranged daughter Chelsea, her fiance Bill, and his teenage son Billy.
To make a long story short, the occasionally foul-mouthed Billy ends up 
staying with Norman and Ethel for a month, spending time with Norman 
and bringing him out of his shell; while at the same time Norman 
instills in Billy a love of reading, fishing, and being a beast of 
burden.  Ethel basically just makes cookies.  Then Chelsea comes back 
from Europe and reconciles with her father and everybody has a good 
cry.

Well, maybe not everybody.  I did hear a few sniffles in the 
audience; but I personally was not especially moved (and I'm no cold 
fish either.....I wept openly during 'Titanic' when I realized it was 
only a movie, and Leonardo DiCaprio wasn't really dead.)  As I said, 
I think it was because not enough time was spent building things up 
for me to become emotionally invested.  It certainly wasn't the fault 
of the actors, who all did a wonderful job.

And speaking of the actors, there were only six of them, but if 
director Erik Viker can pick six winners like these every time, he needs to 
start playing the lottery (*rimshot*).  Let's get to them now......

David Minnich and Jenny Stringfellow as Norman and Ethel Thayer:
When I first heard about this casting, I was worried that OGP really 
would turn into Squabbles II, but thankfully it didn't.  These two 
both won Apples for Squabbles last season, and deservedly so.  And 
from what they did in OGP, I see no reason why they shouldn't win 
again.

Kristin Mercer as Chelsea: Another Squabbles alum, and quite possibly 
another Apple-winning performance.  Kristin does a very believable 
job as the daughter struggling to come to terms with unresolved 
issues from her childhood.

Bill Sabis as Charlie the Mailman:  Hopefully, Bill really had to 
strectch to do such a fine job playing Charlie the total loser-schmuck
-mailman who's been pining for Chelsea the last 30+ years.  But 
seriously, he does very well with the role, and even manages to slip 
in a good bit of a New England accent (which people at GCP have tried 
and failed to do in the past).

Bill DeYoung as Bill Ray:  Bill only has one short scene in OGP, but 
it was enough to convince me once and for all of one thing: the 
directors who cast him in previous shows weren't just sucking up 
because he's the editor of the Scene section of the newspaper.  And 
neither am I.  His scene consists mainly of trying to talk to Norman 
about Bill sleeping in the same bed as Chelsea.  Bottom line: Bill 
DeYoung ain't bad.

Carl Holder as Billy Ray:  Carl's performance is as dead-on as his Kate 
Hepburn voice.  And he may well be the first person ever to say 
"bullshit" on the GCP stage during a show.  (But let loose a 
perfectly harmless 'How do you like THEM Apples' and suddenly you're 
a social pariah.  I see how it is......)


MISCELLANY

Erik Viker has a tendency to create sets that look *way* nicer than 
any house I will ever personally live in, and this one is no 
exception.  It's the beautiful inside of a wooden Main summer home, 
full of pictures, books, and kinds of homey touches.  Add to that a 
sexy, sexy picture of the sexy, sexy Cristine Antolak in a sexy, sexy 
dress, and you've got yourself an Apple for set design.  And he 
didn't even need a Volkswagon.....


BOTTOM LINE

This is a pleasant little play that is certainly worth your time.  It 
may not be especially moving, but it one of the most technically 
brilliant plays in recent GCP history.  Go see it, if for no other 
reason than to watch David Minnich and Jenny Stringfellow together 
again.....


FINAL NOTE

I was sad after watching OGP, but not because of the play itself.
On Sunday afternoon, quietly and with no fanfare, Erik Viker walked 
out of the Gainesville Community Playhouse for quite possibly the 
last time.  He's moving to Austin, TX to join Jenny Slattery, another 
multitalented GCPer who was underappreciated.  While Jenny was hardly 
appreciated at all, Erik was appreciated by many; but it still wasn't 
enough for everything he did for GCP and community theaters 
throughout the area.  Erik was involved in over 50 community theater 
productions over the last decade-plus, in every conceivable way.  He 
was equally adept at directing, designing and building a set, acting, 
or stage managing.  No job was beneath him, because everything he 
did was for love of the theatre, pure and simple.  He knew how to get 
the best out of everyone he worked with, and he will be sorely 
missed.  Gainesville community theater has been far richer for his 
presence, and will be far poorer for his leaving.  I wish him well in 
life, and pray that his path will lead back to us someday.  God speed.


-john