Bay Windows, Thursday, October 15, 1998

For the love of soft fur

A powerful and poignant production of Steinbeck's 'Of Mice & Men' in the hands of Stanley B Theatre.

By Paul McMahon

Continuing their dedication to stage plays by American playwrights, the Stanley B Theatre is currently performing John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men."

Adapted by Steinbeck in 1937 from his own novel of the same title, this play won the 1937-38 Drama Critics' Circle Award as Best Play. That first production starred Broderick Crawford, Wallace Ford and Claire Luce. It has since become an important pan of American theatre history and is constantly mounted by various regional professional and amateur groups.

It has had two major motion picture treatments: a 1939 film with Burgess Meredith, Lon Chaney, jr. and Betty Field which received Oscar nominations as Best picture and Best Musical Score (by Aaron Copeland), a 1992 film with Gary Sinise (who also directed), John Malkovich and Sherilyn Fenn; and it was actually adapted into a musical stage version in1958 which starred Leo Penn, Art Lund and Jo Sullivan with a score by Albert Brooks (music) and Ira J. Bilowit (lyrics).

As with much of Steinbeck's writings, the characters are mostly people whose lives are filled with struggle and, more often than not, broken or unrealized dreams. At the center of this play, we meet two men who certainly can be classified as an odd couple: George and Lennie.

George can be described as being street smart. He knows the ropes and is continually scheming to make a better life for himself and Lennie, without having to do any more physically than is totally necessary. Lennie, on the other hand, is a big and physically powerful but simple-minded oaf of a guy who will do whatever George tells him, if he remembers it.

As the play opens, they are on their way to begin work at a farm as grain "buckers" (harvesters). George, ever worried that Lennie will, once again, get into trouble and get them both fired, warns his friend to keep his mouth shut and do what he is told. The men share a single dream of one day owning a place of their own - a small farm which would enable them to be independent and self-supporting.

Lennie, who has a particular fondness for petting soft furry things (they were recently fired fromtheir last job because he was striking a young woman’s velvet dress – while she was wearing it), begins to get into trouble because he becomes obsessed with petting a litter of new born puppies in the barn of their new place of employment.

There is much escalating tension on this farm, most of it caused by the Boss’ scrappy son, who is terribly (and justifiably) jealous of his new bride, who spends as much time as she can with the hired men. An unfortunate and disastrous confrontation, having to do with stroking, between Lennie and this woman, propels the play to its shockingly tragic end.

Unrealized strength
The current production, which was directed by Michele M. McVeigh, brings forth a rather uneven range of performances. Fortunately, the actors playing most of the work’s leading characters, including George and Lennie, manage mostly effective and somewhat moving performances.

Once he modulated the volume of his voice in the play’s first scene, Brad Picket was quite convincing as George. Properly wiry and with an appealing cocky, self-assured manner, his performance developed nicely.

Bruce-Robert Serafin, who, incidentally, is the Founder and Executive Producer of the Stanley B Theatre, totally maintained his characterization of the dimwitted Lennie. His physical stature also visually helped suggest the character’s unrealized strength. Also in his favor is the fact that he did not resort to the obvious stereotypical tricks often employed to bring out his character’s mental failings. Lennie’s need and respect, and even love, for George is also made clear, often poignantly, in his performance.

Although he was occasionally a bit difficult to understand, Ed Sorrell, as the old farmhand kept on to do menial duties after losing a hand in a work-related accident, gives a multi-layered performance as a broken and desperate man who fears his ultimate future.

Barbara Allen is convincing as the frustrated “tart” of a young bride, and Dennis Sean Straham gives a well controlled and even performance as the sympathetic foreman, Slim. There is also a right-on-target performance by Wesley Taylor as the understandably bitter black man who constantly feels the intense bigotry around him.

The less said about the remainder of the cast the better. As for whoever was working the light cues – he or she had better not give up his or her day job.

A brief word about French’s Opera House. This little jewel was built in 1890 on the second and third floors of the building it’s in and it retains its original proscenium. It has a charm not readily found these days. It’s major problem is that it is not easily accessible by public transportation, but is well work the.