Older adults breaking up after decades-long marriages seems unthinkable, but according to the American Psychological Association, one in ten divorces involve couples over 65 years old. This new ‘grey divorce’ phenomenon is shifting the cultural zeitgeist.
The 2019 Netflix series Grace and Frankie offered a quirky spin on divorcing baby boomers, and now the theme of later-in-life separation has hit the stage with Grand Horizons. Bess Wohl’s comedy was a hit on Broadway in 2020, receiving two Tony nominations.
From April 3 until April 20, Ottawa Little Theatre is staging its rendition of the show. We recently spoke with Chantale Plante, the play’s director, to discuss what she likes about Grand Horizons, the acting style, and how to keep the tone light despite the dark subject matter and humour.
The story follows Bill and Nancy. The long-married couple’s lives are intertwined to the point that they can anticipate each other’s every move. However, as they settle into their new home in the ironically named Grand Horizons retirement community, Nancy shocks everyone by announcing she wants a divorce. The couple’s two grown sons are left reeling, forced to reconsider their understanding of the parents they thought they knew so well.
The insightful new play delves into the upheaval of a family in crisis, offering a candid and poignant look at the unpredictable journey of love and commitment.
The performance starts with a leap into dark humour. Bill and Nancy are finishing their nightly dinner when Nancy looks up at Bill and says, “I want a divorce.” Bill looks up from his plate and says, “Alright,” almost disinterested, agreeing before returning to eating. “It’s almost like a dance, and they have the routine down pat,” Plante says, making the play all the more absurd and intentionally funny.
Written in 2020, Grand Horizons is a recent play, as Plante points out, so the characters are more relatable in modern times. One of the disgruntled couple’s sons is gay and has to deal with the relationship breakdown of his parents, while both sons must reconcile with the fact that they never really have known their parents well and must figure out what to love means in the wake of the news of parental separation.
Plante is not new to the more modern styles of stage production. She likes the raunchier, edgier plays. She points out that Grand Horizons has some “poignant moments, but also comes back to being humorous that sometimes wash into more tender moments.”
The humour is amplified by the fact that the cast selected for this rendition has perfect chemistry, gelling well together both on and off stage in the three months leading up to opening night, making Grand Horizons a joy to direct.
Grand Horizons is entirely “language-based,” with what Plante describes as having a “musicality to it through dialogue.” It relies on the tempo and the fast-paced dialogue that breaks for slow moments, almost like a sitcom. The set does not require effects, putting the focus squarely on the cast’s talent and their constant witty back-and-forth dialogue.
Plante believes this story of family breakup reaches across age groups and will resonate with anybody from the couple that has been married for fifty years and realizes commitment isn’t always a cakewalk to the young couple trying to figure out how solid its foundations are. She says, “Really, the play appeals to anybody with a family.”
Grand Horizons is being performed at the Ottawa Little Theatre until April 20, 2024.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ottawalittletheatre.com