Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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On Golden Pond on Stage at the CFRT by JANICE BURTON screen and starred Henry and Jane Fonda, along with Katherine Hepburn. It tells the story of an aging couple, Ethel (played by the fi rst lady of the CFRT, Bo Thorp) and Norman (played by William Christopher of M.A.S.H fame), who spend each summer at their cottage on a lake called Golden Pond. The play tells the story of the relationships that surround the couple, including their own and the relationship between Norman, his estranged daughter, Chelsea (played by Liza Vann), her fi ance Bill (played by Greg King) and her soon-to- be step-son Billy (played by Sean Thomas. On Friday, April 20, Tom Quaintance, the artistic director at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre, along with the star- studded cast, will bring life on Golden Pond to the CFRT stage. For Quaintance, directing the show, is an opportunity to do what he does best: Tell a story. Relationships, and the study of them, are the fodder for many great authors. The study of relationships on the stage is a delicate thing. If an author goes too far in one direction, the story he is trying to tell becomes maudlin. If he goes too far in another direction, his story becomes a farce. Those who study such things, tend to agree that Ernest Thompson got it right when he penned On Golden Pond. The play was later adapted to the big does not plan to stray too far from the story line. "There is a very helpful author's note at the beginning of the script, where Thompson talks about the experience of writing the play, the movie and then revisiting it for the Broadway show," explains Quaintance. "He talks about the need to really get into the real diffi culties that families face, and he suggests that the more you play them for keeps and for high stakes, the funnier it is because it is more human." Prior to staging the show, Quaintance knew the show only by reputation. "I had an opinion on the play based on the idea that it was a sentimental story turned into a gauzy movie," he said. "When he got into it, I found it to be deeply human. It is a very real portrayal of a family that is not sentimental. The sense of humor they all bring to the table is wicked and it is so much fun to dig into it. I am pushing the actors away from sentimental to the things that are more real." Quaintance noted that there are stories like this one that simply e.g. for you to just tell the story, and that's all a director has to do. "Thompson really knows what he is talking about," said Quaintance. "Many times we try something off stage direction, but fi nd ourselves going back to his stage direction because he had it right." "Bill and Bo are certainly doing all of the heavy lifting in the show," said Quaintance. "For me, as a director, it is fun to do a project where I get to get into rehearsal and watch two really good actors work on their craft." For those familiar with the play or the Academy Award-winning movie, Quaintance Christopher, who is doing his second play at the CFRT, believes that the characters are very well written, and that the play captures a slice of life. "It's a little nostalgic. These people are old. They are talking about the past, but they bring the past with them to this situation. If we do it right, what you should see is a glimpse of the past," said Christopher. "The whole fabric of life, when it is done right, makes you laugh because you see that is what life is like. It allows people to relate to life, and it may touch you, too." Christopher and Thorp have a warm relationship, which Quaintance calls awesome. "I can't imagine anyone else doing these roles," said Quaintance. The show opens on Saturday and runs through May 6. For tickets and show times, visit the website at www. cfrt.org. JANICE BURTON, Associate Publisher. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com 14 UCW APRIL 18-24, 2012 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM