Theatre Arlington Presents ON GOLDEN POND

Theatre Arlington is thrilled to open the third installment in our 50th Anniversary season, On Golden Pond by Ernest Thompson. This classic play follows an elderly couple spending their summer at their lake house, where they reconnect with their estranged daughter. The story is a heartfelt meditation on the complications of aging, family, and forgiveness.

Audiences might be most familiar with the popular 1981 film adaptation of Thompson's play, starring Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, and Jane Fonda. While the movie received ten Academy Award nominations and ultimately won three, the world premiere stage production was a critical darling in its own right. The Craig Anderson-directed Broadway premiere opened in February of 1979 and ran for 126 performances. The production would ultimately take home 5 Drama Desk awards including "Outstanding New Play", and actress Frances Sternhagen would receive the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

Theatre Arlington's Executive Producer Steven D. Morris will direct the local rendition of this classic, starring two titans of Dallas-Fort Worth theatre in Deborah Brown as Ethel Thayer and David Coffee and Norman Thayer Jr.

Brown's extensive acting career includes the Live Theatre League of Tarrant County's Elston Brooks Lifetime Achievement Award, a 15-year tenure as a Resident Company Member at the Casa Mañana Playhouse, and countless other credits in the region, appearing in plays and musicals with Granbury Opera House, Bass Performance Hall, Stage West, WaterTower Theatre, and Dallas Theater Center.

Her co-star David Coffee has an equally extensive record of success. Several highlights across his 54-year career include his own Live Theatre League of Tarrant County's Elston Brooks Lifetime Achievement Award, a decade of work as a touring actor, 91 productions with Casa Mañana since his 1968 debut, and 62 productions with the North Shore Music Theatre in Massachusetts across three decades.

The remainder of the cast is rounded out with the charming young Camden Duyck as Billy Ray, seasoned performer Michael Green as Charlie, and beloved Theatre Arlington mainstays Cindy and Rodney Honeycutt as Chelsea and Bill Ray. This character-centered story, and its bittersweet promises of new beginnings, pairs beautifully with this strong cast and their diverse skillsets.

The world of the play is filled out with the exceptional talents of the production staff, featuring Production and Stage Manager, Maria Leon Hickox, heads up the production team which includes Rebecca Rickey (Assistant Stage Manager), Bryan Stevenson (Scenic and Lighting Designer), Ryan Simón (Sound Designer), Hannah Bell (Costume Designer), Robin Dotson (Properties Designer) and Kevin Brown (Set Dresser).

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