Riverbank Productions

by Lorraine Payette, written March 7, 2014

(Gananoque, ON) Gananoque’s Riverbank Productions will be presenting a staged reading of “On Golden Pond”, an award winning play by Ernest Thompson.

“It is a heart-warming, funny, and moving family comedy/drama that addresses aging gracefully ( and not so gracefully!), parent/child conflicts, the frustrations and joys of getting older, and the challenges, surprises and realities of enduring love,” says Diane Stapley. “Set in the 80s, it centres on a couple in their late sixties and seventies who have been married for many decades and, for forty years, have been spending their summers at a simple family cottage on a beautiful lake. When their grown daughter Chelsea shows up unexpectedly with her new dentist boyfriend and his teenage son, age-old family conflicts come to the fore. The results are wonderfully hilarious, and dramatic – just like real life!”

The third show in the company’s series for this season, the cast is made up of a mixture of professional performers and members of the local community. Professionals Mo Bock and Stapley headline the cast, which includes Peter McKenty (known for his work at Dreams in Motion), Craig Walker (Queen’s professor and actor/director), Maureen Dixon (community theatre actress), and Luke Young (Dreams in Motion participant, student actor and singer). Betty O’Neil (known for her participation in numerous community productions) handles the staging.

There will be a single performance of the reading on March 16 at 2:30 pm, held at the Firehall Theatre, 185 South Street in Gananoque. The theatre is fully accessible, and a paid bar is available. Tickets will be on sale at the door: $10/individual, $25/family and $5/person for groups (ten or more). A portion of the proceeds will be presented to SAIL (Services to Assist Independent Living).

For more information, please contact Diane Stapley at 613-463-9504 or stapley.diane@gmail.com .