Theatre in the Square opens 30th season with a bit of nostalgia

Theatre in the Square will open its 30^th season with On Golden Pond, August 10 – September 11, 2011 on the Main Stage. On Golden Pond was the first production the theatre produced, in September 1982, in the space that is now Cool Beans Coffee. Tickets are on sale now online at theatreinthesquare.com and by phone at 770-422-8369.

Norman (Pete Thomasson) and Ethel Thayer (Judy Leavell) return to their summer home for the 48^th time on Golden Pond in Maine only to have their normally quiet escape disrupted by a their daughter's (Agnes Hardy) arrival with her fiancée, Bill (Chuck Horton), and his mouthy 13-year-old son, Billy (Elijah Marcano and Charlie Garland). The production is a heartwarming portrayal of family struggles, love, and relationships, but it is also very humorous, especially when Charlie (Bart Hansard), the mailman, is around.

            "I thought it would be well to observe this milestone season by recalling how it all began – with this show and its impact on that first audience of Mariettans, mostly longtime or original residents.  The buzz that first night was overwhelmingly positive and we knew that we had started something that could last, although we weren't thinking 30 years out, of course," says Co-Founder and Producing Director Palmer Wells. The play, which was written by Ernst Thompson, has won numerous awards both for its staged productions and the 1981 film that starred Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda. The artistic team behind this production includes director Heidi Cline McKerley, lighting designer Bradley Bergeron, set designer Seamus Bourne, costume designer Marie Estes, sound designer Thom Jenkins, dialect coach Kathleen McManus, and props designer Lindsay Moore.

To celebrate the 30^th season, tickets to the performances Friday, August 12 and Sunday evening, August 14 will be 30% off when patrons ask for the 30^th anniversary special. Preview tickets on August 7 and 9 are only $12. Regular tickets are $24 to $33 and are available at the Theatre in the Square Box Office by calling 770-422-8369 or online at theatreinthesquare.com.  Discount rates are available for groups of 12 or more by calling 770-422-8369.  Theatre in the Square is located off of historic Marietta Square at 11 Whitlock Ave.

Joseph Harrison has been involved with the theatre in some form or fashion all his life. He holds a Journalism degree from the University of Georgia, but his true love is the theatre which he has been involved in as a spectator as well as an actor for the last 20 years. He has performed in a variety of musicals over the years including PIPPIN, CITY OF ANGELS, 1776, WORKING and GODSPELL (Jesus) and JOSEPH?.DREAMCOAT (Joseph) just to name a few. He currently resides in Conyers, GA (Metro Atlanta) with his wife, Shannon and their two children.

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