Richard Kuhlman – Ted Mills

It’s an issue that rarely gets discussed when visitation rights are brought up between parents, but there’s a lot of heartbreak regardless. What happens to the grandparents when a grandchild is moved across the country? Do the grandparents have any rights themselves?

Dr. Arthur Kornhaber, now in his early 80s, has been writing on the subject for many years now, with books such as “Grandparents/Grandchildren: The Vital Connection” and “Between Parents and Grandparents.” He’s also been carrying around a play about these same issues, called “Nonna,” which made its way into the hands of Richard Kuhlman, director at Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio. Dr. Kornhaber finally gets his wish tonight as “Nonna” premieres for a three-week run.

FROM TOP : Front, from left, velociraptor Danny McMillan and postal worker Brittany Danyel; center, with hat, David Stewart and in back, from left, Thom Thomas and Laura Ring. Getting ready for the next disaster in grand style are the Antrobus family, representing the human race. They are, back row from left, Maggie and George (Laura Ring and Ron Feltner), their intractable maid Sabina (Zuska Sabata) and, front, willful daughter Gladys (Julia Wilson) and son Henry (David Stewart) who hates his father. MaryM Long photos — FROM TOP :
Front, from left, velociraptor Danny McMillan and postal worker Brittany Danyel; center, with hat, David Stewart and in back, from left, Thom Thomas and Laura Ring.
Getting ready for the next disaster in grand style are the Antrobus family, representing the human race. They are, back row from left, Maggie and George (Laura Ring and Ron Feltner), their intractable maid Sabina (Zuska Sabata) and, front, willful daughter Gladys (Julia Wilson) and son Henry (David Stewart) who hates his father.
MaryM Long photos

On 1941, playwright Thornton Wilder conceived of a eons-spanning play that would follow one family from the Ice Age through to Armageddon. After all, the play was written in the shadow of the attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s entrance into World War II, and the concept of mankind coming to an end felt palpable. But Wilder’s first version of the play was too heavy for already war-weary audiences. Instead, the author did an about-face, changed the play to a silly farce, and everybody was happy — including those on the Pulitzer Prize committee, who gave Wilder an award in 1943 for the work. Overshadowed by Wilder’s wide-reaching and less silly “Our Town,” this farce gets another look starting tonight for a five-week run at OJAIAct.

Director Richard Kuhlman, last seen directing “The Provoked Wife” for Transport Theatre in Ojai, says he’s known the play since high school and has wanted to produce it.

Tag: Richard Kuhlman

Nonna-Generians – Play talks about older victims of broken homes

Farce in the Nick of Time – Thornton Wilder’s other award-winning play