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THEATER REVIEW:
‘Mice and Men’ played with aplomb
By Lisa Dupuy
While they scour the globe for great stories, Theatre Banshee producers proclaim that they specialize in the plays and playwrights of Ireland. So it was with some consternation that I attended their latest offering, on St. Patrick’s Day weekend of all times, John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.”
Could there be a more American writer than Steinbeck? Well, turns out the writer’s parents are of Irish and German descent. But more fitting for the Banshee are the themes of this excellent play — dreams on the edge of attainment and human decency in the face of harsh reality.
Chances are you read “Of Mice and Men” in school or at least saw references to its main characters, George and Lennie, in various Looney Toons cartoons (“Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?”).
To refresh your memory, uptight George and his lunk-headed friend Lennie are on their way to a new ranch job outside of Salinas, Calif., circa 1932. They had to flee the last job in Weed because Lennie, who has a penchant for soft, fluffy things, roughly handled a young woman there.
George is constantly worried that Lennie’s going to mess up again before they can “build a stake” and earn enough money to buy a place of their own. Their interactions with the gritty ranch hands (and one delicate girl) moves this story to its tragic end while at the same time serving up a feast of literary sustenance in the form of Steinbeck’s masterful depictions of life in Depression-era western America.
The story is a classic. So did they do it justice? For sure.
First-time Theatre Banshee director Rebecca Marcotte does a fine job creating a unique tone and definite sense of place. Probably due to her experience as an actress (she played the knife-wielding activist mom in Banshee’s “Loyal Women”), Marcotte seems to value the creation of distinct characters, allowing each of the 10 men and women to create a rich, unique person.
Andrew Leman as George and Sean Branney as Lennie make a phenomenal team. Leman is a taut wire of nerves and concern and exasperation. Branney creates a lovable, Baby Huey sort of Lennie. He puts his physical stature to good use appearing unnaturally strong but clumsy. But I would have liked to see him be a bit less cartoony and a bit more threatening.
Of particular merit is Barry Lynch who gives the one-handed Candy a humor, depth and poignancy not seen in the others. And Mark Colson looks straight out of Central Casting as the iconic Slim. Josh Thoemke plays an amusing Curley, a little guy with dukes always up, ready to fight. And Tomas Boykin is wonderful as the African-American outsider, Crooks. Be aware that the “N”-word is flung around fairly recklessly in this play — perhaps one of the reasons “Of Mice and Men” has been on the Most Challenged Book List for years.
For such a small stage, the sets were fairly ambitious with more scene changes than a usual Banshee production. David Robkin and Arthur MacBride did a great job evoking the feeling of a Salinas Valley ranch. The costumes by Lauryn Otten really helped flesh out each character. Along with the sets and costumes, the music created a real sense of place from the hillbilly music while the stage is black to the sumptuous incidental music composed by Troy Sterling Nies.
“Of Mice and Men” is in fine hands with the actors, director and crew at Theatre Banshee. While I believe this acting troupe is capable of any kind of play, Steinbeck’s work does reflect Irish sensibilities. The play is full of hard-working people in harsh circumstances, following a dream, trying to be decent to their fellow man and looking for a laugh in the middle of it all.
LISA DUPUY is a freelance writer from La Crescenta who formerly worked on KCET’s “Storytime.”
Could there be a more American writer than Steinbeck? Well, turns out the writer’s parents are of Irish and German descent. But more fitting for the Banshee are the themes of this excellent play — dreams on the edge of attainment and human decency in the face of harsh reality.
Chances are you read “Of Mice and Men” in school or at least saw references to its main characters, George and Lennie, in various Looney Toons cartoons (“Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?”).
To refresh your memory, uptight George and his lunk-headed friend Lennie are on their way to a new ranch job outside of Salinas, Calif., circa 1932. They had to flee the last job in Weed because Lennie, who has a penchant for soft, fluffy things, roughly handled a young woman there.
George is constantly worried that Lennie’s going to mess up again before they can “build a stake” and earn enough money to buy a place of their own. Their interactions with the gritty ranch hands (and one delicate girl) moves this story to its tragic end while at the same time serving up a feast of literary sustenance in the form of Steinbeck’s masterful depictions of life in Depression-era western America.
The story is a classic. So did they do it justice? For sure.
First-time Theatre Banshee director Rebecca Marcotte does a fine job creating a unique tone and definite sense of place. Probably due to her experience as an actress (she played the knife-wielding activist mom in Banshee’s “Loyal Women”), Marcotte seems to value the creation of distinct characters, allowing each of the 10 men and women to create a rich, unique person.
Andrew Leman as George and Sean Branney as Lennie make a phenomenal team. Leman is a taut wire of nerves and concern and exasperation. Branney creates a lovable, Baby Huey sort of Lennie. He puts his physical stature to good use appearing unnaturally strong but clumsy. But I would have liked to see him be a bit less cartoony and a bit more threatening.
Of particular merit is Barry Lynch who gives the one-handed Candy a humor, depth and poignancy not seen in the others. And Mark Colson looks straight out of Central Casting as the iconic Slim. Josh Thoemke plays an amusing Curley, a little guy with dukes always up, ready to fight. And Tomas Boykin is wonderful as the African-American outsider, Crooks. Be aware that the “N”-word is flung around fairly recklessly in this play — perhaps one of the reasons “Of Mice and Men” has been on the Most Challenged Book List for years.
For such a small stage, the sets were fairly ambitious with more scene changes than a usual Banshee production. David Robkin and Arthur MacBride did a great job evoking the feeling of a Salinas Valley ranch. The costumes by Lauryn Otten really helped flesh out each character. Along with the sets and costumes, the music created a real sense of place from the hillbilly music while the stage is black to the sumptuous incidental music composed by Troy Sterling Nies.
“Of Mice and Men” is in fine hands with the actors, director and crew at Theatre Banshee. While I believe this acting troupe is capable of any kind of play, Steinbeck’s work does reflect Irish sensibilities. The play is full of hard-working people in harsh circumstances, following a dream, trying to be decent to their fellow man and looking for a laugh in the middle of it all.
LISA DUPUY is a freelance writer from La Crescenta who formerly worked on KCET’s “Storytime.”
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