This ‘Of Mice and Men’ revival roars

ONE MIGHTY ‘MICE’: Chris O’Dowd & James Franco in ‘Of Mice and Men’. Photo: Richard Phibbs

By David NouNou

There is something so rewarding but seldom seen nowadays when going to the theater and seeing an audience totally engrossed in the proceedings happening on stage, instead of playing on their iPhones and Androids and texting, with their annoying lights shining in the dark. It made the experience so much more enjoyable to appreciate a play that was first presented in 1939 and still has a grip on the audience from start to finish.

Set in 1930s Salinas Valley, California, George (James Franco) the protector, and Lennie (Chris O’Dowd), a gentle giant and mentally slow, travel together, drifting from job to job due to Lennie’s penchant for touching and fondling soft things and getting in trouble. George is the voice and brains for the twosome and it’s their means of survival. Starting work on a new ranch, George instructs Lennie to keep out of trouble and never speak. Things start well but there wouldn’t be a drama if things didn’t unravel. The other workers get along with the newcomers, but there’s the boss’s jealous son Curley (Alex Morf) who just got himself married a couple of weeks before to a free spirited young woman who likes to hang around the boys (Leighton Meester). Needless to say, this causes constant trouble for the workers when Curley comes in jealous rages looking for his wandering-eyed wife. Lennie is told to stay clear of both of them.

To keep Lennie safe, George has to constantly create lovely tranquil illusions that they will someday own a ranch together once they earn enough money and Lennie could have his rabbits to grow and feed and that no one can ever fire them or get them in trouble. On a particular night Candy (Jim Norton), an injured cleaner who has lost an arm to a shredder, overhears George and Lennie’s goals for a Utopian way of life and wants in on it and plans to give them his life savings. Life seems to be going well until…

What makes this drama so effective is the seamless direction by Anna D. Shapiro. The action is nonstop for there is always something around the corner and the sets by Todd Rosenthal keep the pace moving and evoke the emotion of the moment whether in the marshes at the play’s start, ranch bunkhouse or the hayloft. There is a smooth flow to the transitioning scenes.

The performances are robust and all engrossing. The standout is Chris O’Dowd; his Lennie is memorable and ethereal; a creature that is so full of joy but cursed with being slow. James Franco’s George is protective as is necessary but not dynamic to balance the scales that their partnership requires. At times in crucial scenes, Mr. O’Dowd can overshadow Mr. Franco and totally eclipse him. A lovely nuanced performance is by Jim Norton as Candy. George and Lennie are his last hope of getting out of his miserable environment and to be able to share in the bliss of the farm they’re all going to get together. The rest of the cast delivers creditable performances that are both engaging and affecting.

What makes Of Mice and Men such a rare and wonderful treat for drama lovers is that it is seldom revived. The last time it was done was in 1974 with James Earl Jones and Kevin Conway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre and quite frankly, weak and misguided. This is one of those timeless gems that should be revived every 20 years and be able to be rediscovered by a whole new generation and delight in its timelessness.

LENNY & CURLY’S WIFE: Chris O’Dowd & Leighton Meester in ‘Of Mice and Men.’ Photo: Richard Phibbs

Of Mice and Men– 2 Tony Nominations, including Best Dramatic Actor – Chris O’Dowd & Lighting Design.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 19, 2014
Reviewed at press performance on April 18, 2014