2005 Year in Review

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TLP's The Graduate needs to graduate

When the movie The Graduate came out in 1967, I was way too young to see such a shockingly sexual movie and somehow I’ve never seen the original. So when we headed to Timber Lake Playhouse I had no preconceived ideas. I knew that boy meets older woman, older woman seduces younger man, and younger man and older woman have an affair but that’s about as much as I knew.

Benjamin Braddock, played by Justin Sample, is just months short of his 21st birthday in 1964. He’s graduated from college, tied as number one in his class, and not sure what he wants to do next. Not yet a man, but not a boy anymore, he is seduced at his graduation party by Mrs. Robinson played by Emily Firth, “the most attractive of all my parents' friends” and an alcoholic. Mr. Robinson even encourages him to “sow a few wild oats”.

Later the fathers set him up with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter Elaine, played by Ella Mouria Seet, and now he’s been with the mother but wants the daughter. Ben never realizes he’s being brought into the Robinson’s dysfunctional family

When I sit down at a play I want to be pulled in to the plot. I not only want to be entertained, I want feel like I’m part of the play. This play fell far short of my expectations for any play. I felt the puzzle pieces that usually fall into place just never came together.

There was no chemistry between any of the main characters. I expect when a couple are on stage and in love we the audience should feel something too. We need to understand why they feel attraction or love. The only thing I felt was boredom.

The subject matter is very sexual and definitely not for youths even teens. The sex seen between Mrs. Robinson and Ben was almost silly though. They looked like flopping walruses instead of lovers.

For a high school production this might have been average but I guess I expect much more from summer stock. The audience never really got into the drama but were amused at some of the comedy about farmers and the common man.

For those that already have tickets purchase, the music from Simon and Garfunkel is good. The production is also shorter than Ragtime. The first act is 1-1/4 hrs, the second act was 40 minutes long and we were on our way out by 10:15.

I thought of all the leads, Ella Mouria Seet as Elaine Robinson was the most believable but no one did an outstanding performance. In the past I may not have liked the show but there was always outstanding performances. This was a mediocre production all around.

I’m looking forward to The Full Monty starting on June 30.

by Barb Benson, theCity1.com
June 18, 2005