photo by 3Sixty | Bruce Luetters
MANSFIELD — Ernest Thompson, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of the hit film “On Golden Pond,” will bring his Oscar statuette and talk about his life growing up in Mansfield at two events in December.
The events are being held before the world premiere of Thompson’s new play, “Ask/Answer,” being performed at MMAS in January.
“An Evening with Ernest Thompson” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, in the newly renovated MMAS theater at 888 South Main St., Mansfield.
Attendees can meet and speak with Thompson as he talks about his life as an author, playwright, and growing up in Mansfield in the 1950s across from MMAS’s theater on Route 140. Tickets are $40 and available at mmas.org or bit.ly/mmas21ernest.
“On Golden Pond,” which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, will be shown at noon Wednesday, Dec. 15, at Showcase Cinemas, Patriot Place, Foxboro.
The American Film Institute named Thompson’s international hit play, which was turned into the movie, one of the greatest love stories of all time. Tickets are $25 and available at bit.ly/mmas21goldenpond.
Thompson will have his Oscar statuette with him and will take photos with patrons at both events.
The two events precede the world premiere of Thompson’s new play “Ask/Answer,” being held at the MMAS theater from Jan. 19 through Feb. 13. It stars Thompson and Providence actress Pamela Lambert. Lambert, who will also attend the events.
Through the most serendipitous of circumstances — stopping with his wife to revisit his roots and have lunch by the Norton Reservoir — Thompson connected with Ken Butler, MMAS’s director, who was at the theater overseeing its summer-into-fall renovations.
“A tour of the construction site led to a proposal: Why not let MMAS host the world premiere?,” MMAS says.
Thompson will direct and play the role of Ryle alongside Lambert in a love story between two strangers who discover all is not lost, even in the midst of a mutual cancer journey.
“It’s very different from ‘On Golden Pond,’ but similar in its wit and humor and powerful emotion,” MMAS says.
The “Art for Hope” exhibition will open the season in MMAS’s Morini Art Gallery alongside Thompson’s play and in partnership and purpose with the Joe Andruzzi Foundation. A portion of the proceeds of art sales will be donated to the foundation, which helps New England cancer patients and their families by contributing financial support when it is needed most.
For more information, visit mmas.org.
To read this article at The Sun Chronicle, click here.
