| Of Mice and Men | |
|---|---|
 First edition (1937) | |
| Written by | John Steinbeck |
| Date premiered | November 23, 1937 |
| Place premiered | Music Box Theatre, New York City |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Tragedy drama |
| Setting | An agricultural valley inNorthern California |
Of Mice and Men is a play adapted from John Steinbeck's 1937novel of the same name. The play, which predates the Tony Awards and the Drama Desk Awards, earned the 1938 New York Drama Critics' Circle Best Play.
The 1937 production opened while the novel was still on best seller lists.[1] At the time,George S. Kaufman was the top director in the country.[2] While the play follows the novel closely, Steinbeck altered the character of Curley's Wife, perhaps in response to criticisms from friends. In the play, Curley's wife does not threaten to have Crooks lynched, and in her final scene she talks of her childhood and her father trying to run away with her. This has the effect of softening her character, portraying her as lonely and misunderstood.[3]
George, an affable migrant farm worker, and Lennie, a towering simple-minded pleasantly humble young man, are the subjects. They are bound by George's devotion and Lennie's "pathetic helplessness". George's guardianship keeps Lennie out of trouble, but we soon see this is a slippery slope. Lennie's displays of love result in several deaths ranging from mice and puppies to a beautiful woman. Eventually, in the face of a lynch mob, George kills Lennie to put him out of his misery.[1]
Steinbeck adapted the play from the novel.[4][1]
The play had its world premiere circa October 1937 by theSan Francisco Theatre Union.[5] The play premiered onBroadway at the Music Box Theatre on November 23, 1937, and closed in May 1938 after 207 performances. Directed byGeorge S. Kaufman, the cast starredBroderick Crawford as Lennie andWallace Ford as George. In 1939 the production was moved toLos Angeles, still with Wallace Ford in the role of George, but with Lon Chaney, Jr., taking on the role of Lennie. Chaney's performance in the role resulted in his casting in the movie.
There have been several revivals, the most recent produced in 2014, directed byAnna D. Shapiro withJames Franco (George),Chris O'Dowd (Lennie)[6] and Leighton Meester (Curley's Wife).[7]
By the Book Theatre's production won 6Brickenden Awards including Outstanding Drama, Director, Set Design, Actor, Supporting Actor, and Lighting Design.[8]
| Theatre | Opening Date | Closing Date | Perfs. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music Box Theatre, Broadway | November 23, 1937 | May 1938 | 207[4] | Broadway debut |
| Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway | December 18, 1974 | February 9, 1975 | 61[9] | Broadway revival |
| Union Square Theatre,Off-Broadway | October 7, 1987 | December 6, 1987 | 67[10] | Off-Broadway revival |
| Longacre Theatre, Broadway | April 16, 2014 | July 27, 2014 | 118[11][6] | Broadway revival |
The following tables show the casts of the principal original productions:
| Role | Music Box 1937[4] | Brooks Atkinson 1974[9] | Union Square 1987[10] | Longacre 2014[12] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Milton | Wallace Ford | Kevin Conway | John Savage | James Franco |
| Lennie Small | Broderick Crawford | James Earl Jones | Jay Patterson | Chris O'Dowd |
| Candy | John F. Hamilton | Stefan Gierasch | Edward Seamon | Jim Norton |
| Slim | Will Geer | David Gale | Mark Metcalf | Jim Parrack |
| Curley | Sam Byrd | Mark Gordon | Clifford Fetters | Alex Morf |
| Curley's wife | Claire Luce | Pamela Blair | Jane Fleiss | Leighton Meester |
| Crooks | Leigh Whipper | Joe Seneca | Roger Robinson | Ron Cephas Jones |
| Carlson | Charles Slattery | Pat Corley | Matthew Locricchio | Joel Marsh Garland |
| Whit | Walter Baldwin | James Staley | Ron Perkins | James McMenamin |
| The Boss | Thomas Findlay | David Clarke | Joseph Warren | Jim Ortlieb |
The production was chosen as Best American Play of the 1937-1938 season by theNew York Drama Critics' Circle.[13] The 2014 production earned two Tony Award nominations at the68th Tony Awards (O'Dowd—Leading Actor and Japhy Weideman—Lighting Design).[14]
Brooks Atkinson ofThe New York Times wrote that "Steinbeck has caught on paper two odd and lovable farm vagrants whose fate is implicit in their characters."[1]