On the road again
Of Mice and Men
Now how could I possibly fumble this one up?
John Steinbeck writes of the road—his interest is in the journey, not the destination. Oftentimes, this quintessential California author embraces the heartache of migrants trying to find an elusive and vague dream, a place to call their own.
Two such drifters are Of Mice and Men’s tragic duo of Lennie and George, an unlikely pair that bonded together in a dysfunctional brotherhood of desperate men.
In their season opener, Sacramento Theatre Company gives us a beautifully rendered production of this classic, with some strong performances, good direction and artful staging.
The handsome set by designer Arthur Rotch creates the perfect melancholic mood for the tragedy ahead—a backdrop of washed landscapes bathed in golden lights. Here, amid a yellow wheat field, we meet the sturdy, stable George (Matt K. Miller) and his sidekick, the mentally challenged Lennie (Jason Kuykendall). The two are fleeing yet another misunderstanding and mess that Lennie has inadvertently caused, and are in search of work.
The strength in Of Mice and Men lies in the relationship between George and Lennie, and interesting choices by the two STC leads both strengthen and undermine the partnership. Miller plays George with an angry intensity; Kuykendall gives us a more severely mentally challenged Lennie than usually portrayed, and while both performances are memorable, they both need to be toned down for the ultimate heartbreak to shine through.
