'ON GOLDEN POND'
Continuing: By many accounts, Steve Shaffer's performance is extraordinary in this Old Log Theatre production. Shaffer, a veteran of the Excelsior playhouse, is Norman Thayer in Ernest Thompson's play about a couple summering in Maine. By turns flinty, vulnerable, blunt and sympathetic, Shaffer's Norman shows the complexity of a man turning 80 and reflecting on his life. Nancy Marvy plays Ethel Thayer, Norman's dotty but emotionally tough spouse, in Don Stolz's production. Set designer Jon C. Stolz has built an impressive lake cabin that grounds the story in a deeply affecting reality. It's a lovely staging that radiates from Shaffer's intricate portrayal -- very much worth seeing. (2 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m. most Wed.-Thu., 8 p.m. Thu.-Sat., Old Log Theater, Excelsior, $19.50-$32, 952-474-5951 or www.oldlog.com.)
GRAYDON ROYCE
