On Golden Pond @ Theatre Arlington
—Jan Farrington
“You’re old and I’m ancient.”
That about sums up the situation On Golden Pond. Norman and Ethel Thayer (played by David Coffee and Deborah Brown, lucky us) may be spending their last summer at the family lake house in Maine. Or maybe it isn’t the last, but they’re smart enough to consider the possibility. The play begins with a series of yearly rituals: bring in the suitcases, whip the dust covers off the furniture, put the cushions on the porch chairs—and wave hello to the loons out on the water.
But life is never just “what we do every year.” This summer will bring some surprises, some new life in the house, some scary moments—and a chance to smooth the edges off a few family grievances. Ernest Thompson’s 1979 comedy-drama, a perennial favorite, is certainly comfort food, but never sweetly simple. There’s a lot here for us to connect with and think about, whatever generation we’re part of at the moment: young, middle-aged, old…or ancient.
Theatre Arlington’s 50th Anniversary production of On Golden Pond, directed with a sure touch by TA artistic head Steven Morris, leaves the curtain open from start to finish, giving us time to revel in scenic designer Bryan Stevenson’s lake-cottage set. We sigh, and wish we were there. The roomy, beamed cabin is cluttered and warm, with big windows open to glimpses of green trees and hints of blue water. Morning coffee on the screened porch? A cool piece of heaven. Mosquitoes and flies are a bother in the woods, though, and remind us that real life is never quite paradise.
Brown and Coffee give detailed and delightful performances. Coffee’s Norman is exactly what Ethel calls him: a poop. One of the grumpier old men of stage comedy, we aren’t entirely sure why we like this snarky old gent so much. Perhaps because Ethel loves him…and she seems to be a woman of good sense and heart. Perhaps because Coffee’s comic inflections and timing would raise laughs from the proverbial bedrock. Ethel keeps a steady side-eye on her husband, amused (sort of) and ready for whatever he’s going to say next. Odds are, it won’t be positive: he grumps and gripes about the present and past, and mocks Charlie the postman (Michael Green) for his long-held crush on their daughter Chelsea (Cindy Honeycutt).
Norman is forgetting things (events, names, the way home), and Ethel’s quick, small steps let us know that a) her feet hurt, and b) she’s afraid of falling. While Norman reads and frets, Ethel is busy picking tiny strawberries and keeping track of the wildlife. She’s the happier, more openly affectionate of the two; but in spite of Norman’s reflexive “down-ness,” the love between them is clear—and it’s here to stay.
When Chelsea drops by with dentist boyfriend Bill (Rodney Honeycutt) and his quick-witted 13-year-old son Billy Ray (Camden Duyck), it’s obvious she and Norman have a rocky relationship. “I’m a big person everywhere else!” she says about the way he makes her feel. The surprise, though, is that Ethel and Chelsea also seem awkward with each other. Norman gives grown-up Bill the brush-off, of course, but clearly the teenager and the old man are meant to be buddies. A dry young wit meets an old one; it’s magic. Norman picks up ‘70s slang, and Billy Ray learns to fish. Their May-December friendship fills an empty space for each of them.
On Golden Pond dates itself in amusing ways: it’s life without cell phones and the Internet, where “long distance” calls cost a fortune. The mail comes by boat, and Charlie has time for a coffee and chat. Norman couldn’t live without the paper, and the “operator” for Ma Bell, he growls, surely has a “phone book” if only she’d look. That world, like ours, has its problems—but nearly 45 years after it was written, On Golden Pond has begun to feel less “right now”—and rather more timeless. Not a bad thing.
As for Norman and Ethel and the family? Like the generations of loons and their babies on the pond, human life goes on, circles around, ends and begins. Wave hello, wave goodbye. Enjoy the summers.
WHEN: May 5-21, 2023
WHERE: 305 W. Main Street, Arlington
WEB: theatrearlington.org
