WITH HONORS JERRY HALL EXUDES CLASS IN THE STAGE ADAPTATION OF 'THE GRADUATE'.

Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Writer

Anybody who has played the lead in the stage version of ``The Graduate'' for more than six months figures to be collect some choice anecdotes. Punctuating her stories with a wry Texas chuckle, Jerry Hall - the Mrs. Robinson in question - talks about the occasionally rowdy audiences asked to tone it down and the fan mail in which fans have requested an article of clothing ... like, say, a shoe. She played the part for six months in London, succeeding Kathleen Turner, who originated the role.

But perhaps the funniest story comes when Hall is asked what her children think of mom boozily vamping it up on stage with a younger guy.

Her youngest, 5-year-old Gabriel, hasn't seen the play, Hall explains. The teens, however, love it.

``It's funny because my 17-year-old son kept bringing all his friends. You'd think he'd be embarrassed,'' says Hall, who returns as Mrs. Robinson in Broadway/LA's tour of ``The Graduate'' opening Wednesday at the Wilshire Theater. ``But he kept bringing all his friends - five more each night, and they kept coming to see me. They were totally unembarrassed about the whole thing.''

``I think they all fancied the girl who played my daughter,'' she continues. ``She was a beautiful girl. Also, they're interested in theater and film, being directors.''

And if these words came from anybody but Hall, who comes across as self-effacement and pure motives personified, the listener would say something like, ``Yeah, that must be it. A bunch of hormonal teens are coming to watch another actor and to bone up on their film and drama school course work.''

Because their presence has nothing to do with the fact that a world famous model - former wife of Mick Jagger, no less - is on stage; that said former model is 47 but looks a decade younger and is going to be briefly and memorably nude.

Baring it all

That flash of nudity - a selling point in the pre-Broadway hype before the critics took their shot at ``The Graduate'' (most weren't kind) - was an issue for Turner. It's certainly an issue for Hall.

And for everyone else. Peter Lawrence, the show's original production supervisor who is directing the national tour, remembers when Hall took over the role from Turner on London's West End.

``This wasn't even the opening, it was a preview,'' recalls Lawrence. ``So the nude scene came and 20 different photographers stood up and took photos with flashes, and ran out the theater exit. The next day virtually every newspaper in London published full nude pictures of Jerry Hall. That's about as awful an experience as a person could have.

``I don't think anything daunts Jerry,'' Lawrence adds. ``She was one of the top models in the world from the time she was 16; she knows everyone famous who has ever lived, and she's willing to tackle head on anything that she finds interesting. I don't see her flinching.''

To hear Hall tell it, she's having too much fun to worry excessively about such matters. Yes, she was nervous about dropping trou when the part first came to her; but the scene is too important - and, she adds, too humorous - for the nudity not to be there. As for the hype, ``It's a bit of a giggle,'' she says.

``You could hear people sort of talking about it before the show starts. I think some of the women use it to get their husbands into the theater who don't normally go to see plays.''

Now that we can believe.

We can also believe that a longtime model like Hall would take to the demands of live drama and get a kind of adrenaline rush from the people in the audience - those who arrive without flash cameras, of course.

``You can feel out the audience really early on. If they laugh at some line, you can tell what kind of audience they're going to be. It's great to get an audience going, I'm kind of hooked on it.''

The play, Hall contends, is a comedy. And it's as relevant today as it was in 1967 when Mike Nichols' film made a star out of Dustin Hoffman and gave Anne Bancroft - then age 36 - a career-defining role.

Mrs. Robinson may be an alcoholic who is sleeping with her friend's son, but an actress can't get by simply by playing the character's wickedness, says Hall.

What's that you say?

``You have to have empathy,'' she says. ``You have to find the nice part in them and feel sorry for them in order to do it realistically. I think the message between Mrs. Robinson and her daughter, and the problems a lot of people have with their children (are valuable). She gives Elaine good advice in the end, 'For God's sake, just tell me to get lost. Just be yourself, and find out who you are.'

``Also, I think laughter is good for you,'' Hall adds, laughing herself. ``There's a lot of good food in this play.''

Hall, who after her split from Jagger dated men 10 years younger than her, even had friends call her a real life Mrs Robinson. The term was meant as a compliment, she says.

``I'm hoping my next boyfriend will be older, but you can't always plan these things,'' she says. ``It would be much nicer going out with someone whose reading glasses I could borrow to read the menu at dinner.''

Scattering film roles since her debut in ``Urban Cowboy'' in 1980, Hall first got on stage 12 years ago in a revival of William Inge's ``Bus Stop.'' Playing Cherie, the singer pursued in a roadside diner by an amorous cowboy, Hall got strong critical notices, and the production transferred to London.

Then family life took over and Hall's stage career got short circuited. A few years ago, she was sitting around wishing that someone might entice her back to the boards when she received a call from ``Graduate'' producer John Reid. Reed's producing partner, Sacha Brooks, had observed Hall when she attended the London production of ``The Graduate.''

``John sort of called me out of the blue. He had seen my picture in Hello magazine and said 'You looked fabulous.' I guess Sacha also saw me out in the lobby smoking a cigarette, and someone said, 'Ask Jerry.' So I went in and auditioned and I got the part.''

The Mrs. Robinson role even led to a role in Ismail Merchant's French farce ``Merci Docteur Rey'' in which Hall has a drunk scene.

``(Merchant) said I played a drunk good,'' Hall says. ``That was nice.''

Evan Henerson, [phone]

evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com

THE GRADUATE

Where: Wilshire Theater, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills.

When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays; to Oct. 26.

Tickets: $30 to $60. Call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Jerry Hall heats up `The Graduate' at the Wilshire Theater

(2) no caption (Jerry Hall)

(3) Jerry Hall, with Rider Strong as Benjamin, slips into the iconic role of Mrs. Robinson in ``The Graduate'' at the Wilshire Theater through Oct. 26.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer