On Golden Pond

Classic comedy drama comes to the Mount Tabor stage

Prince Edward Community Theatre (PECT) is bringing Ernest Thompson’s On Golden Pond to the Mount Tabor Playhouse on the next two weekends. First staged on Broadway in 1979, the play remains as relevant today as ever with its exploration of the generation gap between young and old, the fraught relationship between a father and daughter, and the sometimes cantankerous relationship of a couple after nearly half a century of marriage. When the PECT board chose this play in its production schedule, Cheryl Singer jumped at the chance to be the director. “I’ve enjoyed the movie, I loved the story behind it, and I love the family dynamics, and that’s why I wanted to direct it. And I knew we had talent in this County that could pull it off, and boy did we get it,” she said. The play includes veteran actors Tom Higginbottom, Colleen Simms, Adam McGowan and Pat Larkin, as well as exciting newcomers Haimish Hunter and Liz Simpson.

Haimish Hunter plays 13-year-old Bill Ray Jr., and this is his first stage experience. He said that it was almost inevitable that he would end up on stage. His mother, Hilary Fennell, recently appeared on the Mount Tabor stage as Iris in the production of The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble, and his grandparents Monica Alyea and Lynn Fennell are well known in the community theatre scene in the County. He said he has little in common with the character he plays—a California surfer dude teen—but he has had fun working with the script and learning his lines and seeing how his character develops over the course of the play. He’s been getting acting advice from his family as well as from members of the production team. “Pat [Larkin] has given me a few tips, and that has helped a lot. Suzie [Mitchell] and Cheryl have also done a good job of getting me in order, since this is my first production,” he said. He is looking forward to stepping out on stage for the first time before an audience on Saturday evening. “We’ve been rehearsing for two months, so I’m pretty confident that we can do it.”

This will also be the first time in a character role for Liz Simpson. She has had backstage theatre experience with Blue Canoe Theatre and has done competitive improv, but has never had a role in a play. She plays the part of Chelsea Thayer, who is estranged from her father, Norman, played by Pat Larkin. It was Mr. Larkin who encouraged her to audition for the role. “I thought, why not give it a try and see how it feels? I wasn’t expecting anything from the audition other than a first little taste of what it would be like. Then I got the message from Cheryl that I got the part and that only made me more excited to keep going at this,” said Ms. Simpson. “It’s just been so exciting and I’ve learned that I have a whole new passion. This is a brand new opportunity for me and I’m loving it.” She said it has been a great learning experience, and she has spent a lot of time thinking about how her character would behave in various situations. “Yes we have lines we need to know, and places to be while we are on stage, but really understanding the role of Chelsea Thayer has been a really interesting path for me. Why am I saying these lines? What was I doing the second before I came on stage? Even what music would she listen to. Those are the kinds of thoughts that make a character come together beautifully. When I ask those questions about Chelsea that are really nothing to do with the play, it allows me to have an understanding of Chelsea and I’m able to think of that while I’m onstage. Once you have an understanding of the character, you’re able to deliver that character.” She said she loves working with the energy the other actors have on stage. “When I get a line delivered with excitement by these actors, that gives me something to play with and I can match that.” She, too, is looking forward to stepping out on the stage for the first time in front of an audience. “We’ve worked so very hard with each other, with everything that needs to be done to make this production happen. I’m just thrilled to be sharing it with this community.”

This is Ms. Singer’s third directorial effort, and it is a little different from the previous two. “This one deals with a lot of emotions and a lot of family values, and what I really wanted from my cast was believability. I always want the audience to believe what they are seeing. I want those family dynamics to be real, and I think the cast has risen to that challenge,” she said. On Golden Pond plays on November 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12. For ticket information and show times, please visit ticketscene.ca/venues/4845/