I love the fall. To me, it is the perfect time of year, the weather is cool but not cold, and as our beloved Sesame Street characters would say, “This season is brought to you by the letter F” — Family, Friends, Festivals and Fun.

The next three months in Natchez will be all abuzz with activity and as usual, the Natchez Little Theatre will not disappoint with their last productions of the 2019 season.

If you recall, at the beginning of the year, I promised to reveal the title of our December production, in the month that “ends in Boo,” that production will be… The Natchez Little Theatre’s Spectacular Christmas Show.

As it is not Christmas yet, I promise I will follow up with details and a sneak peek before that show starts.

For now, we are proud to present, Ernest Thompson’s On Golden Pond in November.

Every family has its own traditions. For most families in the Natchez area those who have moved away come home for the Balloon Races, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Thayers’ tradition for the past 48 years is to spend the summer at their vacation home on Golden Pond, Maine. It is there, they keep their mementos, pick strawberries and enjoy fishing and listening to the loons on the water. They reminisce about summers long ago and enjoy the simple things in life.

This particular summer, the family gathers together to celebrate Norman’s 80th birthday. Even his daughter Chelsea, with whom he shares a bitter relationship, attends with her fiancé Bill and his teenage son Billy in tow.

On the one hand, Chelsea and Bill are there to celebrate Norman’s birthday. However, they are also there to drop off Billy on their way to vacation in Europe. Through Norman’s relationship with Billy over the summer, the audience sees a generation gap close, a professor who becomes a student of a teenager, even learning slang.

Billy learns the art of fishing, the wisdom and adventure one can find in good books. Billy is the grandchild the Thayers have always longed for, and they are the grandparents he always needed.

Toward the end, our beloved forgetful yet acerbic witted Norman suffers a mild heart attack which reminds everyone of the frailty of life, the value of love and forgiveness and hope for tomorrow. The ending proves once again on the stage, just like in reality it does not matter what drama the family may divide over, or how eccentric some of our relatives can be at times, in the end, family is family and we all take care of each other.

“On Golden Pond” is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service Inc. Co-directed by Courtney Fleming and Sara Davis, the show stars Derek Saxon as Norman Thayer Jr., Florence Hargis as Ethel Thayer, Walker Allen as Charlie Martin, Erica Jane Brown Tanner as Chelsea Thayer, Dylan Brocato as Billy Ray, and Timothy Tanner as Bill Ray.

This wonderful and hard-working cast dedicate this production in memory of Dr. Neil Varnell. Varnell loved to give to his community, and we want to honor his memory by paying it forward to other non-profit organizations here in Natchez. Help us pay it forward; bring a check payable to Natchez Stewpot or canned green vegetables, (preferably the 6-pound size) to the performance night or day of your choice and help make a difference in someone’s life. You can make someone else smile while we make you laugh.

On Golden Pond runs Nov. 7-10 with 7:30 p.m. evening performances Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $15, and are available at the door or by making reservations. We recommend reservations even for season ticket holders. For reservations go to www.natcheztheatre.org or call 601-442-2233. Natchez Little Theatre is located at 319 Linton Avenue at the Maple Street intersection.

Becky Martin-Anderson is an Advisory Board Member for the Natchez Little Theatre.