The National Players’ theatrical performance of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” captivated the audience with its medley of outstanding personalities, dramatic story line and intense, sorrowful ending. The performance was held at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts on Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Set in the 1930s, “Of Mice and Men” is the story of migrant workers George Milton and Lennie Small working on a farm in California. George is a small but intelligent man who travels and works alongside Lennie, a large, bulky guy who depends on George for protection and guidance because of his mental disability.
“It was a very big challenge because you don’t want to play the disability, you want to play what Lennie is superior at,” said Mat Leonard, who plays Lennie in “Of Mice and Men” on the National Players’ Tour 63. “So for my interpretation, I believe Lennie has a very high level of empathy, and I think he sees the good in people that people would normally write off, for example, Crooks. It’s set in the 30s, a lot of people are not going to respect an African American character, and Lennie takes him and absolutely just sees his heart. So I started there, with ‘how can I be the most empathetic human being I can,’ and then from there the physical and the voice was just kind of acting technique and good direction.”
In “Of Mice and Men,” Lennie repeatedly gets into trouble because he loves touching soft things. He accidentally crushes a mouse and a puppy when he only meant to pet them, which is just one example of how Lennie does not realize his own strength. At the end of “Of Mice and Men,” Lennie commits a serious crime, and although his actions were unintentional, George is forced to make a tough decision about Lennie’s future.
“It’s pretty dramatic,” said Aaron Pfeil, a kinesiology sophomore. “It’s really emotional because Lennie is such a good guy and whole-hearted and something had to be done, and it kind of makes you want to cry a little bit inside.”
During many scenes, the only sound besides the actors’ voices was that of crickets or faint harmonica music in the background. The audience was silent until the lights dimmed at the end, when a thunderous applause broke out.
“We have a great cast and everyone from day one has been very adamant about really playing the truth of the story as we respond to it,” said Leonard. “There’s a temptation with a piece like this or like ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ where there are a lot of definitive versions. There’s the temptation to ‘oh, let’s watch that guy,’ and we’ve all stayed away from that and really been working hard and listening to each other, and it’s been great just working with the material.”
A few Southeastern students were among those in attendance to see Steinbeck’s work come to life.
“I really enjoyed it,” said Lexie Abreu, a freshman majoring in mathematics. “I haven’t seen the play before, but I read the book in high school and I really liked it so I’m glad to be here.”
According to Leonard, he enjoys traveling with the National Players because each audience reacts differently.
“Sometimes you have audiences that they’re really vocal, it’s kids, so whenever something shocking happens they scream, and other times the audience is a little more quiet, and you just know they’re taking it in,” said Leonard. “Living on the road, it’s tough, it’s stressful, but if you love acting and you love a legendary piece like ‘Of Mice and Men,’ it’s the best job in the world.”
For more information on the National Players and their Tour 63, visit www.nationalplayers.org.
For information on upcoming performances at the Columbia Theatre, visit www.columbiatheatre.org.