Center on the Square’s On Golden Pond timeless on topic of aging
SEARCY — On Golden Pond, the latest production of Center on the Square in Searcy, is a classic that is still relevant to audiences today, said Montana Wallace, the show’s director.
The 1979 play, written by Ernest Thompson, is a story of an elderly couple, Norman and Ethel Thayer, who once again spend their summer at a family cabin as they have for the past 47 years.
“As many guests come and go, you see Norman expose his fears about aging, while Ethel gracefully accepts her later years,” Wallace said.
Although the play was written about 40 years ago, “the problems of aging are timeless, and this production addresses them in a way we can relate to,” Wallace said.
Nancy Liles, who plays Ethel, talked about her role in the production.
“I most definitely relate to Ethel,” Liles said. “I am the exact age that the playwright intended her to be. She still thinks of herself as middle-aged, and I can certainly relate to that.
“I have thought many times, when do you finally feel like an adult? Ethel would have that same thought exactly.”
Liles said her favorite part of the play is “the gentle, loving, teasing and caring relationship between Ethel and Norman.”
Norman, Liles said, grows as a character throughout the play.
“If you’re not in the age group of Norman and Ethel, you have most certainly had grandparents or friends who are,” Liles said. “Every situation will ring true.”
Liles described the play as a production that will “tickle your funny bone and tug at your heartstrings.”
She also touted Wallace as the play’s director.
“Our set is one of the best we’ve ever had at Center on the Square, … and our director, Monica Wallace? What can I say? She is amazing,” Liles said. “I’ve had many directors through the years, and even though Monica is relatively new to the director’s chair, she’s right at the top of my list of directors.”
Wallace joined the board of directors for Center on the Square in summer 2016, and the theater is in its 30th season in Searcy.
Wallace said she studied the script before choosing a cast.
“At auditions, you have actors read lines from the script and sometimes stand up and act out scenes,” Wallace said in describing the casting process. “I have been blessed with a very talented and dedicated cast.”
On Golden Pond will open this weekend with performances Friday and Saturday, and continue with shows Feb. 7-8 and 14-15, with a meal at 6:30 p.m. and the show at 7:30; and on Feb. 16, with a meal at 12:30 p.m. and the show at 1:30.
The doors will open for meal ticket holders 30 minutes before the meal begins, and for show-only ticket holders 30 minutes before the show. Show-only tickets are $19 for adults or $16.50 for seniors, students and military personnel. Adding the meal costs $17, except for pizza night (Feb. 7), which is $5. Tax will be added to the ticket and meal prices. To reserve tickets, call (501) 368-0111.
Liles said the production has “an excellent director leading a stellar cast in a funny, yet poignant, show.”
“We are a small black-box dinner theater, but our hearts are big,” Liles said. “We strive to always put on the best show that we can. Our wish is to entertain and educate the public on the joys of live theater.”