A CLASSIC TALE OF SEDUCTION,
AWKWARDNESS, AND GROWING UP

Desert Theatreworks delivers a lively staging that
balances humor with the story’s darker undercurrents

Most Americans over 50 no doubt remember Mike Nichols’ film The Graduate, so the chance to see the story live in Indio is an appealing one. Adapted for the stage by Terry Johnson from the novel by Charles Webb and the screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, Desert Theatreworks’ (DTW) current production brings together a talented cast, a smart and stylish director, an effectively minimalist design, and a witty script to deliver an enjoyable evening—especially for those who may now relate more to the predatory Mrs. Robinson than to the easily led Benjamin.

DTW has three distinct performance spaces and has smartly used a different one for each of its recent productions. For The Graduate, the company utilizes its Black Box Theatre. While not a traditional black box—with flexible seating configurations—this space features fixed cinema-style seating and a wide playing area in front rather than a raised stage.

Hal O'Connell, Jim Rogers, Ben Schwimmer, and Valerie McClure

Set designer Lance Phillips (also the company’s Artistic Director) spans the width of the stage with an approximately eight-foot wall, painted white at the top and blending into dark gray below. A central platform at bed height, along with scattered boxes and benches, creates a flexible environment that allows director J. Daniel Herring to shift the action fluidly from bedroom to hotel room to strip club to church.

Our hero Benjamin Braddock (Ben Schwimmer) remains onstage throughout. Schwimmer presents him as a slightly schlubby, socially awkward, on-the-spectrum young man, an underdog with just enough bite to win his way into our hearts. At the start, Benjamin has retreated to his upstairs bedroom, trying on a wetsuit and mask gifted for his college graduation while a party where friends of his parents are celebrating his graduation unfolds downstairs. His parents (Jim Rogers and Valerie McClure) and their friend Mr. Robinson (Hal O’Connell) attempt to coax him to join, but he refuses.

Daniela Ryan

Enter the tipsy Mrs. Robinson (Daniela Ryan), who “accidentally” finds her way into Benjamin’s room. She quickly establishes the power dynamic, manipulating him into unzipping her dress — and though they are interrupted before they can go any further, she makes it clear to him that she is available at any time. Soon, they are meeting regularly at a hotel.

Ben Schwimmer and Daniela Ryan

In one of their rare conversations, she tells him that she had to get married because she was pregnant with her daughter Elaine (Adriana Iglesias), who is just slightly younger than Benjamin. Even though Benjamin and Elaine have been matched as a future couple by all the adult friends, Mrs. Robinson expressly forbids Benjamin from ever dating her.

Complications arise when Elaine returns home from Berkeley. Despite Mrs. Robinson’s firm warning, Benjamin is pushed by his parents to take Elaine out. What begins as an awkward and misguided date—complete with a humiliating trip to a strip club—eventually softens into a genuine connection.

Adriana Iglesias and Ben Swhwimmer

When the affair between Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson is exposed, just as Benjamin fixates on marrying Elaine, the emotional stakes sharpen. Elaine, understandably, recoils, and the second act centers on whether that damage can be repaired.

Mr. Herring keeps the action in constant motion—literally. In an early scene, Benjamin lies stretched on his bed while the adults circle him like boxers sizing each other up, creating a subtle but unmistakable sense of predation. This stylization signals that the production will not be strictly naturalistic, a choice reinforced by the spare, flexible set.

Adriana Iglesias, Ben Swhwimmer, Andrew Abril, Daniela Ryan, Hal O'Connell

While the shock value of an older woman seducing a much younger man may not land as strongly as it did in 1967, the performances—particularly from Schwimmer and Ryan—maintain the tension. Ms. Iglesias is equally effective as Elaine, capturing both vulnerability and resolve. Supporting players, including Katrina Dixon and Andrew Abril in multiple roles, round out a uniformly solid ensemble.

This Graduate may not reinvent the material, but it offers a lively, well-acted take that’s funny, sexy, smart, creepy and above all, entertaining.

Hal O'Connell

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photos courtesy of DTW

The Graduate
Desert TheatreWorks
Indio Performing Arts Center, 45175 Fargo St. in Indio
2 hours with intermission
Thurs-Sat at 7:30; Sat & Sun at 2 (see variances)
ends on March 8, 2026
for tickets ($29–$35), call 760.980.1455 or visit DTWorks

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