Auditions for 'On Golden Pond' to be held
Director Kathy Bergstrom checks the script while preparing for auditions for "On Golden Pond."
Auditions for “On Golden Pond,” The Little Theatre of Tuscarawas County’s opening show of the 2024-25 season, will be held Sunday and Monday, Aug. 4 and 5 at 6:30 p.m. with registration beginning at 6 p.m. Performances will run Fridays through Sundays, Sept. 27, 28 and 29 and Oct. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13.
Director Kathy Bergstrom said the cast calls for three women, three men and one teenage boy.
“Although most people might think this play is a drama,” she said, “it is actually a comedy. It is a wonderful production that runs through all the emotions and gives actors a chance to exhibit all their abilities. Although the main characters are an elderly couple, age is relative in this play. What our brain thinks of a 69 or 80 may be different from what a person of that age actually looks like. Many older people look quite young. So keeping that in mind, anyone who is interested in auditioning does not need to be the actual character’s age. They just need to be able to portray that age convincingly.”
To help those wishing to audition, some cuttings that will be used for the auditions can be found on The Little Theatre’s website at www.thelittletheatreonline.org under Auditions.
“On Golden Pond” is the love story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the 48th year. They are visited by their divorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist fiance, who then go off to Europe, leaving his teenage son behind for the summer. The boy quickly becomes the “grandchild” the elderly couple have longed for, and as Norman revels in taking his ward fishing and thrusting good books at him, he also learns some lessons about modern teenage awareness — and slang — in return.
In the end, as the summer wanes, so does their brief peace, and in the final moments of the play, Norman and Ethel are brought even closer by a mild heart attack.
Bergstrom described the characters as follows:
—Norman Thayer Jr.: Nearing his 80th birthday, Norman’s memory is starting to give way to senility. He is aware of it enough to use it to his advantage, usually in a humorous way. He is very much in love with Ethel, his wife, but has a difficult relationship with their daughter Chelsea.
—Ethel Thayer: Ten years younger than Norman, Ethel is a spirited, active woman who loves her husband completely and who is in love with simply being alive. She is caregiver, sweetheart and friend to Norman.
—Charlie Martin: The local deliver-by-boat mailman, a longtime family friend and a typical Maine down-easterner. Still single, he has had a lifelong crush on Chelsea. He must be able to learn to speak with a Maine accent.
—Chelsea Thayer Wayne: Attractive, divorced and in her 40s, Chelsea is still dealing with the lack of closeness between her and Norman. She is engaged to Bill Ray.
—Billy Ray: The 14-year-old son of Bill Ray, a typical California teenager who comes to spend a month with Norman and Ethel on Golden Pond while his father and Chelsea are in Europe.
—Bill Ray: Chelsea’s fiance, definitely not the outdoors type, trying his best to make a good impression on Norman and Ethel.
—Phone Operator: Female of any age.
Any questions may be addressed to Bergstrom at blairgdp@gmail.com.
The Little Theatre of Tuscarawas County is located at 466 Carrie Ave. NW in New Philadelphia.