The fact that LA Theatre Works goes costume-less and set-less for its Skirball Cultural Center performances is a wise move, in our opinion. Just get right down to the characters and play.
But stripping all the frippery away from "The Graduate," especially Mrs. Robinson's protective, overly expensive fur coats (her own personal prisons) and Benjamin Braddock's boy swim trunks can only do the production a greater service. Because one can get caught up in those trappings when watching the movie, when all one will really want to get caught up in is Kathleen Turner as a certain, throaty-voiced, gimlet-eyed, totally frustrated California mom.
Kathleen Turner is indeed starring as Mrs. Robinson from Dec. 8-12 at the Skirball; Matthew Rhys of "Brothers & Sisters" is Benjamin. You'll remember this played in the West End awhile back, and if you could pop over to London to catch it, heading up/down the 405 will be so much easier.
Plus, isn't "The Graduate" so quintessentially California? It'll be great to see it. Get ticket and time details.
