After closing “My Name is Rumpelstiltskin” to a sold out crowd on Sunday afternoon, Festival Theatre is preparing to open “On Golden Pond” by Ernest Thompson next Saturday, October 1st at 7:30 PM. The cast of the play features faces new and familiar to Festival Theatre.
Ed Moersfelder plays Norman Thayer, the aging patriarch of the story. Most recently seen as Grandpa in “The Grapes of Wrath” and Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol”, Moersfelder has graced the Festival Theatre stage since 2008 and always brings great life and depth to his characters. He is joined by Robbye Lewis as Ethel Thayer. Lewis joined Festival this summer as Ouiser in “Steel Magnolias”. Daniel Olson returns to the stage as Bill Raye, after bringing life to the doomed Mr Boddy this summer in “Clue, The Musical”. Liam Gallagher is the youngest of the group, playing the teenage Billy Raye. Gallagher has performed with Festival numerous times, most recently as Al Joad in “The Grapes of Wrath”. The cast also includes a few new faces to Festival Theatre, including Jessica Passaro as Chelsea and local writer Greg Marsten as Charlie.
“It's been fun to watch the relationships of these characters grow in rehearsal.” Jaclyn Johnson, the director of the production explained, “Each actor brings a well rounded, fully developed character to rehearsal, and watching this group interact on stage has lead to some really exciting discoveries. I'm looking forward to see how this story continues to grow as we quickly approach opening!“
The show centers around Ethel and Norman Thayer's return to Golden Pond for their forty-eighth year. Norman cannot shake from the morbid humor that heart troubles and a failing memory have caused in him. As Ethel and Norman struggle to meld their differing outlooks, an unexpected gift arrives when their daughter drops off her boyfriend’s teenage son before a trip to Europe. The boy becomes the spark that both needed to move forward and all are brought closer together as a family.
“The script is tight and well paced, and though it is witty and light at times, there are a deep emotional set of stories that are honest and real.” elaborated Johnson, “Working with this team of designers and actors to bring this story to life on stage is a gift which I am greatly enjoying unwrapping.”
Tickets for “On Golden Pond” are $26 for adults and $13.50 for youth (ages 5-25). One performance is already sold out, so get your tickets soon. Purchases can be made through Festival Theatre’s Box Office, located at the Franklin Square Black Box downtown St. Croix Falls, through the website FestivalTheatre.org or by calling(715)483-3387.
Ed Moersfelder plays Norman Thayer, the aging patriarch of the story. Most recently seen as Grandpa in “The Grapes of Wrath” and Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol”, Moersfelder has graced the Festival Theatre stage since 2008 and always brings great life and depth to his characters. He is joined by Robbye Lewis as Ethel Thayer. Lewis joined Festival this summer as Ouiser in “Steel Magnolias”. Daniel Olson returns to the stage as Bill Raye, after bringing life to the doomed Mr Boddy this summer in “Clue, The Musical”. Liam Gallagher is the youngest of the group, playing the teenage Billy Raye. Gallagher has performed with Festival numerous times, most recently as Al Joad in “The Grapes of Wrath”. The cast also includes a few new faces to Festival Theatre, including Jessica Passaro as Chelsea and local writer Greg Marsten as Charlie.
“It's been fun to watch the relationships of these characters grow in rehearsal.” Jaclyn Johnson, the director of the production explained, “Each actor brings a well rounded, fully developed character to rehearsal, and watching this group interact on stage has lead to some really exciting discoveries. I'm looking forward to see how this story continues to grow as we quickly approach opening!“
The show centers around Ethel and Norman Thayer's return to Golden Pond for their forty-eighth year. Norman cannot shake from the morbid humor that heart troubles and a failing memory have caused in him. As Ethel and Norman struggle to meld their differing outlooks, an unexpected gift arrives when their daughter drops off her boyfriend’s teenage son before a trip to Europe. The boy becomes the spark that both needed to move forward and all are brought closer together as a family.
“The script is tight and well paced, and though it is witty and light at times, there are a deep emotional set of stories that are honest and real.” elaborated Johnson, “Working with this team of designers and actors to bring this story to life on stage is a gift which I am greatly enjoying unwrapping.”
Tickets for “On Golden Pond” are $26 for adults and $13.50 for youth (ages 5-25). One performance is already sold out, so get your tickets soon. Purchases can be made through Festival Theatre’s Box Office, located at the Franklin Square Black Box downtown St. Croix Falls, through the website FestivalTheatre.org or by calling(715)483-3387.
Ed Moersfelder as Norman Thayer in rehearsal for “On Golden Pond”
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