What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1101259
APRIL 7-13, 2019 WHAT'S UP! 7 Here's To You, Mrs. Robinson BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette W hen the theatrical version of "The Graduate" debuted on Broadway in 2002, the big news was that Kathleen Turner spent roughly 20 seconds on stage nude. The sexy star of "Romancing the Stone" and the voice of Jessica in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" "generated heavy-breathing headlines in London when Ms. Turner appeared there … in the same play, and it is presumably one big reason the show's New York incarnation [had] a $5.3 million advance ticket sale," Ben Brantley wrote in The New York Times. Beyond that, Brantley wrote, "it's the same story that won the hearts of young and misunderstood-feeling moviegoers [in 1967] while pushing Dustin Hoffman into instant stardom as the disaffected college graduate of the title." Micki Voelkel, the director of the production that opened Thursday on the Fort Smith Little Theatre stage, assures playgoers that "our actress will appear in lingerie instead" and says "The Graduate" won't seem much different from the "bedroom farces" FSLT audiences enjoy. "I was very careful in my staging decisions because of the intimacy of our space," Voelkel elaborates. "For example, one character is a stripper. We thought very hard about the best way to costume the character so that the scene is funny and not offensive. So we did a bit of research on burlesque acts in the '60s and came up with the idea of covering her costume in balloons — instantly funny rather than uncomfortable." "Our audience will experience a broad range of emotions from laughter to angst," adds Susan Hickam, who reimagines the seductive Mrs. Robinson. "But pay close attention, because underneath the dialogue and sentiments, this play underscores the importance of communication. "Portraying the most iconic Mrs. Robinson requires an intensity and depth of feeling that to me is a culmination of the different roles I have gotten to perform here on the FSLT stage over the past few years," Hickam goes on. "But unlike any of the other characters, in this one, I am able to bring in a deeper level of hurt, tragedy and denial." As the story goes, Benjamin Braddock — played at FSLT by Aaron Ray — has just finished college and is clueless about what comes next. Bored and marking time, he falls in bed with Mrs. Robinson, a friend of his parents, and then falls in love with her daughter, Elaine. "It is a privilege to play Elaine," Jamie Lambdin enthuses. "She is genuine, kind and caring. She is a beam of light, and that's a vulnerable thing to be. "The intimacy of the FSLT stage requires that we put on a believable front, so that the audiences get to have an honest experience. This story is an American classic, but a rather unusual one and not traditional at all," she adds. "However, it offers complex characters and a roller coaster of emotions. This is probably the reason why it became an instant hit and a Hollywood legend when the movie was released in the 1960s." "Because this comedy has many dramatic elements, the roles allow the actors to really go deep into their characterizations," Voelkel agrees. "Doing a script of a well-known movie is a double-edged sword. There is a built-in audience, but sometimes the audience expects to see the film directly translated to the stage. Fortunately this script expands on the movie. It retains a lot of the flavor of the film, but it goes back to the original novel by Charles Webb. Therefore we learn a lot more about Elaine and Mrs. Robinson than we do in the film. "We have tried to stay faithful to the spirit of the film, while making the characters our own." Fort Smith Little Theatre stages coming-of-age classic FAQ 'The Graduate' WHEN — 2 p.m. April 7; 7:30 p.m. April 10-13 WHERE — Fort Smith Little Theatre, 401 N. Sixth St. COST — $12 INFO — 783-2966, fslt.org FYI — The director rates this production PG-13. Aaron Ray is Benjamin Braddock, and Susan Hickam is Mrs. Robinson in the Fort Smith Little Theatre production of "The Graduate." "Any time you assume an iconic role, it's a challenge to make it your own — for instance, we all associate Ben with Dustin Hoffman," Ray says. "But I think our audiences will appreciate this interpretation of the classic film." Courtesy Photo RIVER VALLEY