Palo Alto Players to Present Stage Version of THE GRADUATE This Summer

Palo Alto Players concludes its 2016-17 season - From Stage to Screen and Back Again - with the stage adaptation of the quintessential hit film of the 60s, The Graduate. First a novel, then an Academy Award-winning film that made Dustin Hoffman a star, Palo Alto Players presents the stage production of The Graduate June 16 - July 2 at the Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. The Graduate is directed by Jeanie K. Smith and features Max Tachis as 'the graduate' Benjamin and Betsy Kruse Craig as Mrs. Robinson.

Tickets are on sale now online at www.paplayers.org or by phone at 650.329.0891.

"Plastics, Ben. Plastics. Will you think about that?" Recent college graduate Benjamin has excellent grades, very proud parents and, since he helped Mrs. Robinson with her zipper, a fine future behind him. Based on the cult novel by Charles Webb, the iconic film The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, became a breakthrough film of the late 1960s. Now Benjamin's disastrous sexual odyssey is brought vividly to life on stage in this brilliantly mod and hilarious adaptation presented for the first time on the Peninsula.

"Like many people, I am a huge fan of the iconic Mike Nichols film." says Artistic Director Patrick Klein. "When I read the script for the stage adaptation, I was thrilled to see that, while the characters and plot are essentially the same, the play takes in aspects of the original novel and has a refreshing life of its own, independent of the film. I can't wait for our local audience to revisit this funny, awkward, sometimes quirky story, with our dynamite cast under Jeanie K. Smith's always tight and skillful direction... especially during graduation season!"

Jeanie K. Smith, a Palo Alto native, returns to Palo Alto Players to direct The Graduate, after previously directing the company's productions of Private Lives, Noises Off, The Light in the Piazza, Perfect Wedding, Boeing Boeing, God of Carnage, Harvey, and most recently, Clybourne Park. Her many directing credits include productions with Los Altos Stage Company, Pear Theatre, Shady Shakespeare, and more. She holds a Ph.D. in Drama and is a frequent theatre reviewer for Palo Alto Weekly.

Smith directs a cast of 9 local Bay Area actors.

The Graduate cast features:

Mrs. Robinson: Betsy Kruse Craig

Benjamin Braddock: Max Tachis

Mr. Braddock: Shawn Bender

Mr. Robinson: Mark Novak

Mrs. Braddock: Raegena Raymond-Brunker

Elaine Robinson: Michelle Skinner

The Hotel Clerk: Adam Currier

The Assistant Desk Clerk/The Stripper: Karen Sanders

The Psychiatrist/The Priest: Tom Farley

The creative team also includes scenic design by Nikolaj Sorensen, lighting design by Kedar Lawrence, costume design by Kathleen Qiu, properties design by Scott Ludwig, sound design by GorDon Smith, and stage management by Lauren Howry.

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Tickets for The Graduate can be purchased online at www.paplayers.org, by phone at 650.329.0891, or by visiting the Box Office at the Lucie Stern Theater located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Performances at the Lucie Stern Theater begin on June 17 and continue through July 2, with a preview performance on June 16. Performance times are Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Ticket prices range from $25 to $52. Discounts for seniors, educators, patrons under 30 (including students), and military are available for all performances except preview night. Special discounts of 20-25% for groups of 10 or more are also available.

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Events taking place during the run of The Graduate include:

Opening Night AfterGlow Party

Saturday, June 17

Enjoy a post-show champagne reception with drinks and appetizers while meeting the cast, FREE with the purchase of a ticket for that evening's performance.

Post-Show Talkback Series

Thursday, June 22 and 29

Enjoy our Talkback series with Director Jeanie K. Smith and members of the cast following these performances, FREE with the purchase of a ticket for any performance during the run.

In cooperation with The City of Palo Alto, The Graduate and the shows of the 86th Season of Palo Alto Players are produced at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, California. Use of this facility is made possible through support from The City of Palo Alto, Community Services Department, Division of Arts and Sciences, and from our patrons.

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Founded in 1931, Palo Alto Players is the San Francisco Peninsula's first theatre company. Based at the Lucie Stern Theater, built explicitly for Palo Alto Players in 1933, Palo Alto Players produces a season of comedies, dramas, classics, and musicals from September to June. Audiences and participants come from all over the Bay Area to be a part of Palo Alto Players' productions. Palo Alto Players is committed to providing a meaningful theatre experience for both audience and production participants. Intrinsic in this is the belief that theatre benefits the community-at-large and enhances the quality of life of those who are touched by it through education, enlightenment, and enrichment. Palo Alto Players is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established for public benefit.

For more information about Palo Alto Players and upcoming shows, please visit www.paplayers.org or call the box office at 650.329.0891. Follow Palo Alto Players on Twitter @PaloAltoPlayers or twitter.com/PaloAltoPlayers, on Instagram @PaloAltoPlayers, and on Facebook at facebook.com/PaloAltoPlayers.

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