On Golden Pond Program Readerspreads-4-12
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DIRECTED BY RICHARD GARVIN Stockton Civic Theatre presents its 369th Main Stage Production GON OLDEN POND BY ERNEST THOMPSON Set Design . Brian Johnson Lighting Design . Hugh Litfin Sound Design . Brian Johnson Costumes . Liz Kastner-Garvin Stage Manager . Edie Nayer Assistant Director . Shawn Carrington Directed by RICHARD GARVIN On Golden Pond is presented by special arrangement with DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE 440 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016 H ello, and welcome to the land of the loons On Golden Pond. It’s season ticket renewal time for the 2012-2013 season. It is a blockbuster season and one you won’t want to miss. Grease …. September 5-30, 2012 White Christmas …. November 14-December 9, 2012 Lend Me A Tenor …. January 9-27, 2013 Little Shop of Horrors …. March 6-31, 2013 The Ritz …. May 1-19, 2013 Anything Goes …. June 26-July 21, 2013 I think you will agree that it’s going to be a great year at Stockton Civic Theatre. I love On Golden Pond, maybe because I am getting to the age where I really under- stand it! It is truly humorous and heartfelt, and the movie starring Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda really made the play accessible to everyone. Richard Garvin has assembled a fine cast including Sherry Dumos and Dalin Nelson who are making their SCT debut, and several faces you will recognize and gladly welcome back to our stage, Rocky Rhoades, back after too long an absence from our family. We welcome them all! Thank you for supporting Stockton Civic Theatre! Jim Coleman Artistic Director DIRECTOR’S NOTES by Richard Garvin O n Golden Pond is a play about “family” and all the baggage that goes along with it. It is sweet and though provoking – sometimes uncomfortable, and will most certainly bring a tear to your eye and will undoubtedly make you laugh out loud. When I first saw the film, I was at the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts in Santa Maria, CA studying acting. I was young and away from home for the first time and it had a powerfully emotional effect on me. Since that time I have been fortu- nate enough to see two professional stage productions. A family dynamic is often like a battlefield, creating walking wounded who spend entire lifetimes wondering why and/or trying (or not) to fix something that did or did not happen. For whatever reason we are sometimes scarred as children– and as we mature we find ourselves with emotional holes that continue to grow throughout our lives. If these holes are not filled before we become adults, that part of us will never grow up and will affect and haunt us throughout our days. I have such a hole that I have been trying to fill for the last 40 years. It has had a profound effect on my life, my decisions, my relationships. Having the opportunity to work on this play has given me cause to think about my “hole” and what I might need to do to fill it. I think that the best way to “survive” our dysfunctional family dynamics is to embrace a “Life Is Short” attitude and decide if we want to survive and grow, or succumb and die. It is important to realize that our parents did what they knew how to do and couldn’t or wouldn’t make the necessary changes needed to keep the holes from starting or filling them when they did. One of the hardest things for adults to do is embrace and forgive the bad (or perceived bad) things in their childhoods. I could not feel more fortunate than to have the wonderful cast of players bringing these characters to life. Unlike the movie, which is very sad, the play has a lot of laughter and joy, as well as emotion and tears. In addition to my wonderful cast, I would very much like to thank everyone who worked so hard to put this play on its feet. As they say, it takes a village to raise a play! Thank you all of the technicians – light, sound, stage, the people who donated the trees, the front of house – ushers, box office, concessions, house manager, the construction crew who worked so tirelessly with Brian Johnson to bring our pond to life, costumes, props – and of course, the audience. I am lucky as a director to have such a wonderful production team who has been with me for several shows now. My long suffering stage manager, Edie Nayer, my wife Liz Kastner-Garvin who does my costumes, Brian Johnson who is the best set designer I have ever had, Putsy Lew-Hong who scours the city for just the right prop, and thanks to Jim Coleman for bringing the play to SCT and giving me the opportunity to bring it to life. I also want to give a special thank you to my Assistant Director, Shawn Carrington, who did such a wonderful job and had really terrific instincts. This play has a way of bringing all of the baggage to the center of the stage and airing the dirty laundry. It is touching and sometimes uncomfortable but it will make you think, it may make you cry, and I certainly hope that it makes you laugh. So bring your shovel and start to fill in your holes before it’s too late. Welcome to On Golden Pond. Richard Garvin Norman Thayer Jr . Michael Stratford Ethel Thayer . Sherry Dumos Charlie Martin . Rocky Rhoades Chelsea Thayer Wayne . Jennifer Nelson-Burgher Billy Ray . Dalin Nelson Bill Ray . Richard Garvin Operator . Karie Nelson Scene Breakdown Act 1, Scene 1 . The middle of May, early afternoon Act 1, Scene 2 . The middle of June, mid-morning Act 1, Scene 3 . The middle of July, early evening There will be a 15 minute intermission Act 2, Scene 1 . The middle of August, early morning Act 2, Scene 2 . The middle of September, late morning Acknowledgements o Special Thanks to: James S. Jones, Artistic Director, Tokay High School Kerry Baldwin Manny Moreno Marvin Williamson Rocky Rhoades – Charlie Martin (in order of appearance) Rocky is happy to return to SCT after a long hia- Michael Stratford– Norman Thayer Jr. tus. This will be his first Michael is no stranger to appearance on the stage the SCT stage having here at the Rosemarie appeared in four previous location. His previous productions, beginning SCT theatre credits were with Kiss Me Kate in all earned at the old Madison Street site. 2005. He won a Best His first role was in Love, Sex and the IRS Actor Willie for his role followed by Buloxi Blues, and he also directed of Sheriff in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Angry Housewives. In Lodi he appeared on and Best Supporting Willie for his portrayal the Tokay Players stage in True West. of Reverend Hooker in Dearly Departed. He was also seen in The Producers. Other Jennifer Nelson-Burgher – Chelsea major performances were in Sleuth, Macbeth, Thayer Wayne and Hamlet, all at Rocky Mountain College Jennifer started early in Montana. His day job is as a teacher and with SCT appearing in English Department Chair at Cesar Chavez the Children’s Theatre High School. Also a writer, he has just started production, Toad of writing his fifth novel. Toad Hall. This was fol- lowed by a role in Stop the World, I Want to Get Off, and most Sherry Dumos – Ethel Thayer recently in this season’s Dearly Beloved. This will be Sherry’s Earlier theatre experiences came while at debut performance on Stagg High School, Delta College, and the SCT stage. However, Chico State in such productions as Fiddler she comes with theatre on the Roof, Flower Drum Song, and Guys experience, having per- and Dolls. A realtor with Lela Nelson Realty, formed as the Wicked Jennifer enjoys exploring alternative healing Witch of the West in modalities, using yoga and positive intention Wizard of Oz at Playhouse Merced, Anne to obtain balance and well-being. She is Putnam in The Crucible at Stage 3 in Sonora, thrilled to be in the debut show of her and Baroness Elsa Schrader in The Sound of nephew, Dalin Nelson. Music at Fallon House in Columbia. With a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business, Sherry serves as a bookkeeper in Oakdale for Mozingo Construction. Dalin Nelson – Billy Ray Jr. Karie Nelson – Operator A student at Joe Serna Jr. Karie’s first SCT show Charter School, this is was Stop the World, I Dalin’s debut perform- Want to Get Off. Her ance on the SCT stage latest was this season’s with his mom Karie and Dearly Beloved. A te- aunt Jennifer. He plays acher by day, she earned , followed by baseball, loves to travel, and will be traveling her B.A. in Liberal Studies . He also direct- to Cooperstown. He also swims and plays at CSU Stanislaus, and a Masters Degree in . Richard came to SCT with water polo. Says Dalin, “And I really am 12!” Multilingual Education. She is proud to be an extensive theatre background including training with the Pacific Conservatory of the sharing the stage with her son, Dalin, in his Richard Garvin – Bill Ray first show ever. Richard first appeared in the 1976 production of She Stoops to Conquer, . Her latest was this sea- followed by Angels in . A teacher by day, she earned her B.A. in Liberal Studies at CSU America, The Produc- Stanislaus, and a Masters Degree in Multilingual Education. She is proud to be sharing ers, and most recently Dearly Beloved.