Theatricum Botanicum to Host A WALTONS WEEKEND, 8/7-9

Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum will host a gathering of cast members from the long-running TV series The Waltons - in which Theatricum founder Will Geer starred as Grandpa Walton from 1972 until his death in 1978 - for a three-day weekend of tribute and reminiscence August 7-9. All proceeds from A Waltons Weekend will benefit Theatricum, a critically acclaimed Topanga-based non-profit organization that is renowned for its summer seasons of outdoor theater and music as well as for its educational programming.

Weekend highlights will include a Waltons-themed gala dinner with series alumni at the Mountain Mermaid in Topanga on Friday, August 7 at 6 p.m., which will also include a screening of the newly released documentary, Earl Hamner Storyteller about the creator of the hit series; a gathering at Theatricum on Saturday, August 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., during which cast members will participate in a Q & A and Hamner will be presented with the first annual Will Geer Humanitarian Award in recognition of his lifetime achievements and concern for others; and a bus trip to The Waltons set at the Warner Brothers Ranch in Burbank on Sunday, August 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Scheduled guests over the course of the weekend include Earl Hamner (series creator and narrator), Michael Learned (Olivia Walton), Kami Cotler (Elizabeth Walton), Mary Beth McDonough (Erin Walton), Eric Scott (Ben Walton), Judy Norton (Mary Ellen Walton), David W Harper (Jim Bob Walton), Michael McGreevey (producer), Ellen Geer (artistic director, Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum) and Ray Castro (director of the documentary, Earl Hamner Storyteller).

The Waltons aired for nine seasons, from 1972 to 1980, and gave birth to seven television movies. A total of 20 awards and 57 nominations have been bestowed upon the cast and crew: thirteen Primetime Emmy Awards (26 nominations) and three Golden Globes (14 nominations), as well as the Directors Guild of America Award, Peabody Award and People's Choice Award. Other nominations included the American Cinema Editors Award, Humanitas Prize, Writer's Guild of America Award and Young Artist Award. Today, the series continues to air an average of 51 episodes a week in syndication and is available for streaming on Amazon Instant Video and iTunes.

Before he was cast as Grandpa on The Waltons, actor Will Geer was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) for refusing to divulge names during the McCarthy Hearings. During that time, he opened a theater for blacklisted actors and folk singers on his property in Topanga. Friends such as Ford Rainey, John Randolph and Woody Guthrie joined him on the dirt stage for vigorous performances and inspired grassroots activism, while the audiences sat on railroad ties. Today, Theatricum Botaniucum consists of two outdoor amphitheaters situated in the natural canyon ravine, where audiences are able to relax and enjoy the wilderness during an afternoon or evening's performance. Theatricum is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Margaret Harford Award for "sustained excellence," which is the Los Angeles Critics Circle's highest honor.

For more information about A Waltons Weekend, call (310) 455-2322 or visit online at www.theatricum.com.

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