Cambridge teen making Drayton debut in On Golden Pond

Ethel and Norman Thayer are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the 48^th year for some much-needed rest and relaxation.

The heartwarming classic dramatic comedy On Golden Pond, by Ernest Thompson, is live on stage at the Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge from July 20 to August 6.

True love that spans the ages is explored with wit, wisdom, and warmth in this touching relationship comedy.

“Everyone should come out and see a play that has endured for all of these decades and is so loved. That is because it has so much heart. It’s about issues that are tough, such as death and dying,” says On Golden Pond director, Marti Maraden.

“And after two years of not being able to practice the craft we love so much, it feels wonderful to be meeting audiences again.”

Maraden says the play delivers a heartwarming message about celebrating the everyday moments in life and speaks to all generations of theatregoers.

It begins when Ethel and Norman Thayer’s summer routine is thrown for a loop when their daughter Chelsea visits for her dad's 80^th birthday, bringing her boyfriend Bill and his teenage son, Billy, in tow.

After an unexpected relationship blooms, fraught family dynamics come to the forefront as they are forced to navigate the generation gap through ‘zippy, tart-tongued conversations’ on fishing, literature, slang, marriage, and their own mortality.

Maraden has a long personal connection to the play.

“On Golden Pond was produced for the first time in September, 1978 at the Hudson Guild Theatre in New York,” Maraden said.  

“In 1981, I did my first show at the Hudson Guild Theatre in New York. So, I was very aware of the play and its success and then the film was made in 1981. I was in Los Angeles and I remember watching the Academy awards. It was tearful as Henry Fonda posthumously received the Oscar for best actor. So, it’s been a special 40-year-long connection with the play.”

Maraden says the play offers a balance of both comedy and drama.

“Heart felt things go on, the difficulty of family life, how you resolve years long conflict, and how wonderful it is to have a thirteen-year-old boy, pop into the middle of it and be a catalyst for healing,” Maraden says.

Evan Kearns, from Cambridge, makes his Drayton Entertainment debut playing the teenage son, Billy Ray.

The Grade 8 student at Woodland Park Public School in Cambridge says the cast has been very welcoming and supportive.

“They have great personalities and I really enjoy working with them,” Kearns says.

He adds it’s exciting to be back on stage after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This character is chill and he’s quite fun, kind of like me,” he said. “On Golden Pond is a very loving show. It’s funny, entertaining, and emotional. It’s very heartwarming.”

Maraden says Kearns is young but experienced and has already done so much.

“Because he has some real experience on stage and on film, you know that he has real discipline. He’s very skilled. And he’s a lovely young actor and a charming young man,” Maraden says.  

“And to start working with grumpy old Norm played by Ben Campbell, it must have been daunting. But the two of them are now kidding around and we all think the world of him.”

The ageless comedy also stars Justin Bott who plays Charlie Martin.

“He’s such a delightful character. Charlie anchors Golden Pond. This is a wonderful world. Some people are familiar with it, and others come to know it for the first time, just like Billy. The set, costumes and acting are beautiful and the design team is just wonderful,” Maraden says.  

“I love the story and the cast. It has been such a joy. On Golden Pond is something everyone can recognize and be touched by and have a lovely time meeting these people.”

Drayton Entertainment is a registered, not-for-profit charitable organization, and one of Canada's most successful professional theatre companies. From Broadway musicals, to comedies and dramas, Drayton Entertainment presents live theatre for all ages on seven unique stages, at six venues, in five communities across Ontario.  

“On Golden Pond is about the full cycle of life, just like the loons on the lake, where you see the pair of loons at the beginning of the play. They have a baby that flies away, and at the end, the parents are left on their own again,” Maraden says.

“This is essentially the story behind the play and the healing between the father and the daughter. I think anyone watching the play will recognize something in their lives that’s very poignant and special.”

For more information and for tickets, visit here.