Los Altos Stage Company to Present HAROLD AND MAUDE, 4/10-5/4

The Los Altos Stage Company presents a love story of the ages. Harold and Maude by Colin Higgins opens April 10 and runs through May 4 at the Bus Barn Theater in Los Altos.

Widely-known as the 1971 cult film, Harold and Maude is a dark romantic comedy. Harold is a morbid young man obsessed with death and dying. Octagarian Maude is a bright and shining soul, filled with a zest for life. When the pair strike up a friendship, Maude teaches Harold how to make the most of his time on earth. Together, they make the most unusual pair.

The original film was based on a screenplay written by Higgins while a student at UCLA. Critically and commercially unsuccessful on original release, the film subsequently received wide critical and commercial success, ultimately developing a cult following. It nows ranks in the top 50 and top 10 on American Film Institute's list of 100 Funniest and 100 Most Romantic Movies of all Time, respectively. Higgins later adapted the screenplay into a stage play.

Harold and Maude is directed by Daniel P. Wilson, Associate Artistic Director of the Los Altos Stage Company. The production features a cast of Bus Barn Theater veterans, as well as a few new faces, including:

Warren Wernick as Harold
Lillian Bogovich as Maude
Kristin Brownstone as Mrs. Helen Chasen
Gary Landis as Dr. Matthews
Ray D'Ambrosio as Father Finnegan
Clint Williams as Inspector Doppel/Gardener
Ken Leeds as Sgt. Doppel/Boss
Hannah Larson as Sylvie Gazel/Nancy Mersch/Sunshine Dore
Jennifer Gregoire as The Maid, Marie

Performances are Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8 pm and Sunday matinees at 3 pm.

Ticket prices range from $18 (student) to $32. Opening Night tickets, including a reception with the artists, are $34. Tickets are available on-line at www.losaltosstage.org or by calling the Box Office at (650) 941-0551.

The Los Altos Stage Company (formerly the Bus Barn Stage Company) is a quintessential American neighborhood playhouse, serving Los Altos and the greater South Bay area, and paying tribute to the full cannon of American musicals, comedies, and dramas. This 18-year-old theater company strives to bring together a diversity of theater enthusiasts, practitioners, and supporters to create, explore and celebrate the rich tapestry of American culture and experience through live theater. The Los Altos Stage produces five to six shows annually at its intimate 99-seat theater located on the Los Altos Civic Center campus.

Photo by Joyce Goldschmid