A golden opportunity
The Tillamook Association for the Performing Arts is celebrating more than 40 years of entertainment by giving a nod to an old favorite, Ernest Thompson’s “On Golden Pond,” opening on Friday, May 6.
The run will get underway with an opening night champagne gala on Friday at Tillamook’s Barn Community Playhouse, featuring complimentary food and beverages.
Robert Buckingham, director of the revival production, remembers watching the film with his parents in 1981 at the historic Fox Theater in Rawlins, Wyoming. The movie and the memory have been close to his heart ever since, which is why he chose this play over many others performed throughout TAPA’s 40-year history.
First performed at the Barn Community Playhouse in 2003, story centers around the old-fashioned and, at times, inappropriate curmudgeon Norman, played by Chris Chiola, and his loving, force of nature wife, Ethel, played by Kristi Hanson, at their summer cabin in Maine. They are visited by their adult daughter, Chelsea, played by Sarajane Elkins; her new boyfriend, Bill, played by Jason Hovey; and his son, Billy Jr., played by Lora Ressler. The Thayer cabin is also visited by Chelsea’s childhood friend Charlie the mailman, played by Chad Clemmer. Chelsea and Ethel are close, but Chelsea and Norman have never had a father-daughter relationship, which has created a divide between the two. Billy Jr. bonds with Norman in a way Chelsea never could and this helps Chelsea see Norman in a different light. Billy Jr. helps to open the door of communication between Chelsea and her father.
“On Golden Pond” is a love story, a story of healing and a story of an aging couple in their golden years facing the reality of their own mortality. It is surprisingly light hearted — full of charm and humor while dealing with serious issues.
Performances will be held at 7 pm every Friday and Saturday from May 6 through May 21. There will be 2 pm matinées on Sundays May 8, 15 and 22.
The Barn Community Playhouse is located at 1204 Ivy Avenue in Tillamook. Tickets, $15 for adults, $10 for kids 12 years old and younger, are available at tillamooktheater.com or by calling 503-812-0275.