About the Show

In this new play, Dale Olsen grows up as the adopted son of a sheltered Grass Valley family until, in 1951 he is drafted into the Army and embarks on a journey of self-discovery, while at home a mystery awaits.

"The Glen" follows Dale’s journey by way of present day action and flashbacks, from innocence to maturity, tracking his uncertain path as a private falsely accused of insubordination by an underhanded army major, through his affair with a possible spy in 1950s Berlin and back to his ultimate confrontation with his unforgiving mother and the secret she has hidden from him all his life. "The Glen" is dramatic and comic, an epic journey of memory, secrets, love, humor and self-discovery.

Critic Reviews (3)

"There’s a cavalcade of colorful characters and many compelling incidents but redundancy and vagueness abound. It’s possible that fashioning the skillful dialogue into more exposition could streamline this morass into a work of momentum. Instead, the crammed play maddeningly drags on for two and half hours absent selectivity or a disciplined structure, ultimately making little impact...If viewed as a workshop does succeed in revealing its virtues amidst its defects."
Read more

"A very heartwarming and sometimes, tragic story that many can relate...This play, at its core is about Dale discovering who he is and what places, people, and things make that up. The nonlinear use of time allowed for these discoveries to been seen with a perspective that would not have been achieved using linear time...'The Glen' was a lovely coming of age story that had me walking out of the theatre with tears in my eyes and smile on my face."
Read more

"A ‘must see’ play...With all of the jumping back and forth from year to year and from one location to another, the play does get a bit confusing as to where we are at any given moment...Mercifully the actors, as well as the writing, both so wonderful, quickly bring us back to our senses, even as we uncross our eyes...There are a number of extremely moving scenes beautifully executed by the actors, all of which hit home."
Read more