On Golden Pond

You may remember the iconic film from 1981… but the play came first, and it’s a more substantial piece of writing than you may recall. What’s more, the lovely outdoor setting of Jackson’s Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre—with chirping crickets, and the moon rising through the oak trees—goes beautifully with this gently-related story of three generations of a family, relaxing (and working out some deep, lingering conflicts) at a summer cabin. There are several nice performances, especially Richard Williams as the aging, sometimes cranky family patriarch. The story yields no earth-shaking developments, but is well told—and the ending’s appropriately warm and satisfying. Enjoy the drive through the foothills, and take a picnic, gates open at 6:30 p.m.
Main Street Theatre Works, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; $12-$16. Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre, North Main St. in Jackson; www.mstw.org. Through September 15.