Of Mice and Men

Dreams are foolish things; yet life is empty without them.  John Steinbeck’s play Of Mice and Men Men deals with what happens when fools and dreamers meet harsh reality through the relationship between the simple, kind-hearted dreamer Lennie and the pragmatic realist George, as they attempt to capture the American Dream as ranch hands during the Great Depression.  Although in reality, Missouri Western State University’s production Of Mice and Men (directed by Dallas Henry) was beset with acting and technical problems, the dream they presented lifted their production beyond its difficulties.

Riley Bayer gave us a kind yet savage Lennie; a child's innocence tempered his destructive acts.  Steve Catron’s portrayal of the intelligent, pessimistic George provided a perfect foil to Bayer.  The other actors were sometimes difficult to understand, background noise or thick accents obscuring their words.  When the actors could be heard, many failed to interest as characters; Daniel Montgomery’s rendition of the jerkline skinner Slim was notable, but he spoke his lines as if they were only words on a page.  The actors excelled in silent scenes, however; Jordan Jinkerson’s expression of mingled pain, grief, and rage upon finding his character Curley’s wife’s body (played by Samantha Simmons) created sympathy for an otherwise unsympathetic character.

Jeff Stover’s realistic, straw-covered set encapsulates the play’s grim, hopeless reality, contrasting the grandiose dreams of George and Lennie and accentuating the pain when those dreams are destroyed.  Stover’s lighting design mostly complemented his set, but hiccups in the deployment of the lights during the production lessened their effectiveness.  Chris Rayle’s sound design grounded the play in the 1930s, but the incidental sounds overtook some scenes, confusing the stage action.  Donald Lillie choreographed quick, brutal brawls, perfectly fitting the world’s harshness.

Lennie and George’s powerful relationship forgave any acting or technical issue.  Lennie and George’s shared dream shone through Bayer and Catron’s chemistry, and that dream’s destruction was more poignant because of its inherent foolishness.  We rooted for the two when George planned their future, we cheered when it seemed within their grasp, and we despaired when Lennie accidentally killed Curley’s wife, destroying their dream forever.  George’s decision to kill Lennie could have been that of a man callously destroying a “useless” burden; instead, George’s and Lennie’s mutual bond transformed this act into the only mercy George could give to his friend.

Of Mice and Men explores the relationship between “crazy” dreaming and barren reality.  Missouri Western State University’s production of this show had several acting and technical problems, but their illustrated dream made those problems fade into the background.  It may be foolish to excuse their flaws because of the message they present; and yet, dreams are foolish things.