“Want to see my teeth?”
That’s Norman Thayer’s introduction to his daughter’s boyfriend. And that snappy opener sets the “biting” tone for the rest of this performance.
Norman is forgetful, unreasonable, cantankerous, hard-of-hearing, opinionated, rude, forgetful, surly, narrow-minded, anvil-stubborn, and … forgetful.
So am I. That’s why I got the role. Yep, even though the role of Norman probably has more lines of dialogue than I have lines of memory, I’m Norman!
Look, if you can tolerate that kind of person and look past my ... my “storage” problem, you should absolutely, positively see On Golden Pond, because the other actors are a delight! They respond like thoroughbreds to the ingenious direction of Dennis McClain and Lou Benjamin, both of whom excel at wit and emotion.
Norman’s wife, Ethel Thayer (“thounds ath if I’m lithping, doethn’t it?”), is brought to life by Sarah Daly Weir, star of the NY stage, LA screen, and numerous soaps ... just six or seven years ago. She’s just as feisty as Norman, but considerably more kind and patient, and easier on the eyes.
Jackie Hill, a famous Lake Country artist, plays Norman’s daughter, Chelsea, and the primary recipient of his jibes. Jackie plays the role with the same sass and sincerity as Sarah.
Brent Mero, everyone’s favorite chef, is the larger-than-life Charlie the mailman, who deftly delivers the mail by boat, ignores Norman’s attempts to goad him, and whose laugh, the audience will soon learn, is ... contagious.
Talk about typecasting! Andrew Tam is a real-life dentist in Greensboro playing the role of Bill Ray, a dentist from LA in love with Chelsea, and meeting “The Parents” for the first time. Is city-boy Bill ready for the woods? Dogs and Norman and Pandas ... oh my!
Thirteen-year-old Billy Ray Jr. is the son of Bill Ray and possesses a knack for charming prospective stepmothers, old ladies, and even ancient curmudgeons. Billy is admirably portrayed by another 13-year-old, Luis Quinones, a seventh-grader at Lake Oconee Academy.
In the school’s next play, Luis will probably be playing Rooster Hannigan or Daddy Warbucks — or perhaps, with the help of a massive red wig, Annie. And to think, we knew him when!
Witness us all “On Golden Pond,” as it comes to life on The Plaza stage (305 N. Madison Ave., Eatonton) at 7 p.m., Nov. 13, 14, 20, and 23, with matinee performances at 3 p.m., Nov. 16 and 23. Tickets to all shows are just $25 each and available now at plazacenter.org.