Benjamin Braddock is a confused young man. Having spent four years achieving a brilliant scholastic record, upon graduation he finds himself adrift, uncertain about his future, disconnected from his purpose, and increasingly alienated from the upper-class, suburban, 鈥減lastic鈥� world of his parents. Fighting panic and boredom, he is deeply conflicted but ultimately willing when Mrs. Robinson, the unhappily married, alcoholic, and dangerously charismatic wife of his father鈥檚 business partner, tempts him into an affair. Benjamin鈥檚 tenuous existence of lazy days and stolen nights falls apart when he falls in love -- with Elaine, Mrs. Robinson鈥檚 upbeat, optimistic daughter. Terry Johnson鈥檚 stage adaptation of The Graduate, based on the novel and the iconic 1967 film, is a bitterly hilarious dark comedy, full of rapid fire dialogue between fascinating and horrifying characters. This play explores family dysfunction, parental expectations, crumbling marriages, and the naive, yet disillusioned, dichotomy of youth, against the shiny backdrop of affluent Southern California in the 1960s.
The Graduate guide sections
