The Graduate comes to Town Hall Theatre Company in Lafayette

I was reading Boxofficemojo.com the other day and came across a fun fact: If movie tickets cost the same price from the dawn of cinema to this summer's blockbuster THE DARK KNIGHT, then THE GRADUATE would be the 18th highest grossing film of all time. As much as I love that movie, I was surprised to see what a huge smash it had been in its 1967 heyday...after all, adjusted for inflamation, it would have grossed nearly twice as much as Finding Nemo, Shrek, or Spider-Man.

41 years after The Graduate made Dustin Hoffman a movie star, Lafayette's Town Hall Theatre Co. has resurrected the stage adaptation that was a huge hit on Broadway back in 2000. The production marks the debut of THTC's new artistic director Clive Worsley. If you've never seen a production at THTC, you have to check it out. The theater is a charming, very old building in Lafayette—and the company has a great tradition.

Info from the press release below:

LAFAYETTE TOWN HALL THEATRE COMPANY
ANNOUNCES A NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
AND THE EAST BAY PREMIERE OF
THE GRADUATE
 
Award Winning Actor and Theatre Educator Joins Town Hall
 
Lafayette, CA, August 11, 2008 – 
 
Show Details
September 13 – October 11, 2008
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, evenings 8:00 p.m.
Sunday Matinees – September 21st and 28th at 2:00 p.m.
Sunday Evening Show – October 5th at 7:00 p.m. 
Contact the Town Hall Theatre Company Box Office for exact dates and times 
Rating – Not for children under 12.
Length  - 85 minutes, plus a 15 minute intermission
 
Place:
Town Hall Theatre Company
3535 School Street at Moraga Road
Lafayette, CA  94549
 
Ticket Prices:  
Adults - $28 Thursdays, $29 Sundays, $32 Fridays and Saturdays
Seniors  (62 and older) - $25 Thursdays, $26 Sundays, $29 Fridays and Saturdays
Youths (17 and under) - $23 Thursdays, $24 Sundays, $27 Fridays and Saturdays
Student Rush – 15 minutes before the curtain, $12 per ticket for any show IN CASH with student ID
Group pricing available – call for details.
 
For Tickets:
925-283-1557
 
Information:
www.thtc.org <http://www.thtc.org/> 
 
Town Hall Theatre Company of Lafayette is thrilled to welcome Clive Worsley as its new Artistic Director. A former member of Berkeley’s acclaimed Shotgun Players and current Associate Artist with the California Shakespeare Theatre, Clive’s experience as an award winning actor and his commitment to theatre education, make him the perfect fit to oversee Town Hall’s main stage and Town Hall Kids programs. 
 
To kick off his first season, Worsley presents The Graduate.  A hit on the West End and a popular show on Broadway, The Graduate brings the quintessential movie sensation of the sixties and one of the most popular films of all time to life on stage. 
 
When The Graduate hit the public in 1967, it was revered as one of the greatest family depictions to ever grace the silver screen and remains so to this day.  Dysfunctional families, alcoholism, mid-twenties confusion and pure lust cloud the story and make it as relevant today as when it premiered. 
 
The Graduate is the story of Ben, whose future looks bright to everyone but him.  He returns from graduating college and comes home to find his parents now expecting great things from him. At his homecoming party, Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father’s business partner, has Ben drive her home and this leads to an affair between the two.  The affair eventually ends, but comes back to haunt Ben as he finds himself falling for Elaine, Mrs. Robinson’s daughter. 
 
“I’m excited and honored to be joining Town Hall Theatre Company,” says Clive Worsley, the newly named Artistic Director.  “I believe strongly in theatre’s ability to build and strengthen community, and Town Hall is uniquely positioned to expand its position in our community in a powerful way.  I look forward to continuing our mission to provide our audiences with a wide variety of quality theatre produced with intelligence and heart”. 
 
“We’re thrilled to bring Clive Worsley on as our Artistic Director having admired his work on stage as an actor and director in some of the most accomplished companies in the Bay Area.,” says Dennis Erokan, Theatre President.  “He’s brought a marvelous energy to our Town Hall Kids program and now he’s bringing a new vision to our 65 year old theatre company. We can’t wait to see what he’ll do!”
 
About the Artistic Director:
Clive Worsley is a Bay Area award-winning actor, director and theatre educator. He has appeared on many Bay Area stages including Berkeley Repertory Theater, California Shakespeare Theater and the Magic Theater.
His professional theatrical career began with a 1992-1995 stint with Armitage Shanks Theater, which he co-founded and where he served as co-Artistic Director. From 1994-1997, he was a member of San Francisco's Viaduct Theater, where he played Pyper in their BATCC award-winning production of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme. In 2000, he became a core company member of Berkeley's acclaimed Shotgun Players. Roles with Shotgun included the Emcee in Cabaret, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Harpagon in Moliere's The Miser. He also served as musical director on several Shotgun productions. As a Teaching Artist for the last six years, Clive has partnered with teachers and worked in classrooms and middle and high school drama programs across Alameda and Contra Costa counties. He is currently an associate artist with the California Shakespeare Theater, where he is involved in their educational and community outreach programs. Clive was the director for the Town Hall Theatre's Teen Actor's Guild production of Shakespeare's As You Like It and appeared as Nils Bohr in their 2006 production of Copenhagen.
 
About the Cast and Crew:
 
Dennis Markham is featured as Benjamin Braddock. Dennis has appeared at Town Hall Theatre as Richie in Bleacher Bums and as Ivor Fish in Rough Crossing.  
 
Melissa Myers is featured as Mrs. Robinson.  A Shellie Award winner, Myers has appeared as Lenya in Bullshot Crummond, Lady Croom in Arcadia and Lurlene in Daddy’s Dyin’. 
 
Jerry Motta, Mr. Braddock, has appeared in many Town Hall Theatre productions including Rough Crossing, Peter and Wendy, and Groucho: A Life in Review for which he won a Shellie Award.  
 
Henry Perkins, Mr. Robinson, has appeared at Town Hall as Eddie/Dr. Scott in The Rocky Horror Show, as Brandon in the Weir and as Max in Lend me a Tenor.
 
Sally Hogarty is featured as Mrs. Braddock.  Sally has been involved in Bay Area Theater for over 30 years and has recently appeared in Bleacher Bums at Town Hall.  Hogarty is also the Associate Artistic Director for Diablo Actors Ensemble.  
 
Xanadu Bruggers is Elaine.  Xanadu is making her Town Hall debut.  She was last seen as Cassie in Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre’s production of Rumors.
 
The Graduate is directed by Joel Roster, who last directed Bleacher Bums at Town Hall Theatre.  Joel has directed the Encore, Ovation and Teen Actors Guild programs at Town Hall, but audiences may be more familiar with seeing him on the stage, most recently in Kevin Morales' smash hit Let's Go to Casablanca (Trey). He also appeared in Town Hall Theatre Company's Rough Crossing (Dvornichek), Bullshot Crummond (Bullshot) and Groucho: A Life In Revue (Harpo/Chico Marx).  Joel has also done numerous productions with CCMT, Center Repertory and Roleplayers Ensemble Theatre and is a 2005 Shellie Award winner.

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