Cape Cod Performing Arts

Mrs. Robinson has her way with the crowd at the Cape Playhouse

The Graduate entertains an eager audience in Dennis

By Maggie Kulbokas

The Cape Playhouse has another hit on their hands this week with their third show of the 2011 season, The Graduate.  Unless you were born in the 90s or know very little of American pop culture, you are familiar with the story of The Graduate.  The 1967 award-winning comedy/drama was based on the novel of the same name penned three years earlier by Charles Webb, shortly after he graduated from college. The Graduate is the story of Benjamin Braddock, a thoroughly disillusioned college grad, who is seduced by the wife of one of his father's friends. As if matters weren't complicated enough, he finds himself falling for his lover's daughter while still in the midst of a torrid affair.

The play, adapted for the stage by Terry Johnson in 2000, and based on Webb's novel and the screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry,  enjoyed a successful run on both the British and American stage. Since its opening, the likes of Kathleen Turner, Lorraine Bracco, Anne Archer and Morgan Fairchild have taken on the role of the iconic Mrs. Robinson.

The story opens in Benjamin's bedroom. Although the guest of honor at his graduation party, he refuses to make an appearance and mingle with his parents' friends.  Benjamin has just graduated from college and he has a career in teaching and his whole life ahead of him.  But like many young people, he is disillusioned and can only look at his parents and their friends with hostility and loathing.

Enter Mrs. Robinson, drink in hand, searching for a place to lie down.  In probably one of the most famous scenes in American cinematography, Mrs. Robinson, the wife of Benjamin's father's best friend, seduces Benjamin who is half her age.  The two begin a torrid summer affair under the noses of Benjamin's unsuspecting parents and Mr. Robinson.

On opening night, the actors had the Dennis audience roaring.  Although four decades old, the story of The Graduate remains relevant today.  On the surface, The Graduate is about the seduction of a young man by an older woman-the self-professed cougars of today--but the real focus of the story is about growing older.  The Graduate is about the disillusionment of youth--about the difference between learning about life and actually living it.  It's about the big ideals and dreams of youth and the fear of becoming trapped in the quicksand of life.  In other words, whether or not you've bedded your father's best friend's wife, you can relate to the dreams and fears of all humans--young and old alike.

Anne Bancroft, Mrs. Robinson in the original motion picture, set the bar high for any other actress who takes on the role of the alcoholic and bored, yet fiendishly titillating housewife.  Patricia Richardson's portrayal of Mrs. Robinson was like an expertly mixed martini--just the right amount of sultry with a dash of boozy.  The audience ate up Ms. Richardson gravelly-voiced one liners and quips.

Jonathan Schwartz shined as Benjamin.  His Jason Schwartzman meets Holden Caulfield persona captured the angst of youth. Joel Higgins as Mr. Robinson, Emily Walton as Elaine Robinson and Mark Zimmerman as Benjamin's father were all very good, but Bethe B. Austin was clearly an audience favorite as Benjamin's quirky and clueless mother.

The show is fast paced and held the audience's attention from start to finish. The set design by James Morgan is simple, consisting of two interior doors and a closet against a bright California sky.  A dimming of the lights and mobile props including many (many) beds, made for quick scene changes. 

The piped in soundtrack courtesy of Simon and Garfunkel helped maintain that 60s feel and tie the stage performance to the film.  The Graduate may not be the most riveting or cutting edge tale, but it sure makes for a night of fun and entertainment.

The Graduate runs now through July 23, Monday through Saturday at 8pm with matinees on Wednesday and the second Thursday at 2pm and the first Saturday at 4pm.  The Cape Playhouse is at 820 Route 6A in Dennis Village. Tickets and ticket subscriptions are available at the box office at 508-385-3911. Coming up next: Footloose: The Musical.