DAC Stage to Produce 'On Golden Pond' Directed by Patrick Kiley

Darien Arts Center Stage is pleased to announce its spring production, On Golden Pond, the classic 1979 play by Ernest Thompson. This heartwarming production is the first of many events planned to mark the 40th anniversary of the Darien Arts Center in 2015. The DAC, which has been providing programs in dance, visual arts, music and theatre for 40 years, will celebrate this significant milestone with the community throughout the year.

On Golden Pond is a charming slice-of-life play that focuses on an aging couple Ethel and Norman Thayer, who spend each summer at their home on the pond. As the story unfolds, daughter Chelsea and her fiancé Billy Ray and his son, visit the Thayers at their summer home. The couple asks Ethel and Norman to watch Billy Ray Jr. for an extended time while they visit Europe. This leads to an unexpected and unlikely bonding between Norman and the boy. The play explores the often-turbulent relationship Chelsea shared with her father growing up, and the difficulties faced by the older couple in their twilight years. Fairfield resident Patrick Kiley directs this sentimental and at-times humorous DAC Stage production that encompasses universal family themes including love, loss, aging, resentment, and forgiveness.

Kiley is passionate about On Golden Pond, a play that he has always wanted to direct. He was a communications and media arts major initially interested in directing film, when he decided to broaden his knowledge as a director and enroll in acting classes at the Herbert Bergoff Studio in New York City. This led to his love of theatre and acting, and performing in many community theatre productions in the years to follow. His work as a director includes several years of directing the annual Christmas Panto with the Town Players of New Canaan and many one-acts. He is elated about his directorial debut with DAC Stage, “I feel so privileged to work with such talented actors on a play that I love. It’s warm, witty and acerbically funny, and at the end of the day, it’s a story about family.”

The cast of On Golden Pond includes David Jackins as Charlie Martin, the local postman, Nancy Sinacori as Ethel Thayer, DAC Kids’ Theatre teacher and veteran actress Kitty Robertson as Chelsea Thayer Wayne, veteran actor Will Jeffries as Norman Thayer, MacKay Mumford as Billy Ray, and Eric Dino as Bill Ray, Sr. Performances are on March 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22 in the DAC Weatherstone Studio. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at darienarts.org or by calling the DAC box office at (203) 655-5414. The DAC is located at 2 Renshaw Road, behind the Darien Town Hall.

Founded in 1975, the Darien Arts Center (DAC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing visual and performing arts programs and events for the community. The DAC offers educational programs in Dance, Visual Arts, Music & Theatre, & special events & live theatre performances by DAC Stage. Private donations, grants, tuition fees & ticket sales fund the DAC, which is located at 2 Renshaw Road, behind the Town Hall. For further information, call (203) 655-8683 or visit darienarts.org.