James Franco and Chris O’Dowd in ‘Of Mice and Men’Yet somehow Ms. Shapiro’s handsome, meticulously designed production (featuring impressive Walker Evans- evoking sets by Todd Rosenthal) feels about as fluid as a diorama in a history museum. And its two undeniably talented leading men, though known as quirky and adventurous screen stars, here wear their archetypes like armor. The presentation is lucid, stately and neutral. Such traits might make this revival an excellent audiovisual aid for middle- school instructors who are teaching Steinbeck’s novella. Habitual theatergoers, though, shouldn’t expect the kind of revivifying interpretation that makes revisiting a classic feel essential. The book “Of Mice and Men” was custom- made for stage adaptation, written, Steinbeck said, “in novel form but so scened and set that it can be played as it stands.” It slid easily onto Broadway (under the direction of George S. Kaufman, no less) the same year it was published as a book. At the time an admiring Brooks Atkinson wrote in The New York Times, “Although many people may shy away from the starkness of the fable, every one will admire the honesty of the author’s mind and the clarity of its statement.” The clarity of characters and themes writ large made “Of Mice and Men” a natural for cartoon spoofery, and references to George and Lennie’s yin- and- yang dynamic have shown up in everything from Bugs Bunny shorts of seven decades ago to episodes of “South Park.”Photo. Chris O’Dowd, left, and James Franco in Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.”Credit. Sara Krulwich/The New York Times Lewis Milestone’s 1. Of Mice And Men WebsiteBurgess Meredith and Lon Chaney Jr., still has considerable power; in it you feel the pathetic fragility of hope of a nation only beginning to recover from disastrous financial hardship. But by the time Gary Sinise remade “Of Mice and Men” in 1. John Malkovich, there was no disguising the smell of mothballs. Any anticipatory excitement around the current stage incarnation comes from its stars’ marquee status. Mr. Franco (a polymath artist whose films include “Milk” and “1. Hours”) and Mr. O’Dowd (the genial love interest in “Bridesmaids”) are both, in different ways, heartthrobs.(Footnote: Photos of Mr. Franco’s broodingly beautiful face can be seen both on the front of Playbill, where he shares the frame with Mr. O’Dowd, and its back, where he appears as a black- tie spokesmodel for a Gucci fragrance.)Yet here they generate little discernible chemistry, even when the show’s one female character, a desirable wench of a farm wife portrayed by Leighton Meester, shows up to make trouble. Neither actor overplays, which is considerate, but they do remain largely monolithic. Lennie is a role that is pretty hard to get wrong, if the performer has the right physical dimensions. Mr. O’Dowd gives the expected gentle- giant performance, though he uses his left hand in surprisingly delicate gestures that bring affecting grace notes to Lennie’s lumbering presence. Though he sports a Yosemite Sam accent, Mr. Franco is often understated to the point of near invisibility. It’s a tight, internal performance begging for a camera’s close- up. And only in the play’s second scene — in a bunkhouse, where Lennie retells George about the dream farm they’ll someday own together — did I sense a warming current of affection between the characters. Things liven up a bit in that bunkhouse, with the introduction of supporting characters. They include the ranch owner’s quick- tempered son, Curley (Alex Morf); a one- handed old- timer, Candy (the venerable Jim Norton); Crooks (Ron Cephas Jones), a black man who lives in isolation in a cabin filled with books (in this version); and a mule skinner named Slim (an easy, convincing Jim Parrack). Of Mice and Men (Play, Original) opened in New York City Nov 23, 1937 and played through May 1938. ![]() Of Mice And Men OfficialThen there’s Curley’s wife, who is said to be a slatternly, provocative sex kitten. The glamorous, pencil- thin Ms. Meester (of “Gossip Girl” fame, and not embarrassing) provides no evidence of being anything of the kind. Given the grim events that eventually befall her character, this may have been a conscious choice. We don’t want to be left thinking, “Well, she was asking for it.” But “Of Mice and Men” presents such a fatalistic canvas to begin with that you have to feel some crackle of resistance to the destiny that grinds these folks down. Though Mr. Franco musters a single, perfect tear for the play’s tragic climax, I only came close to shedding one. That was in the first act, when a dog (a real one) is led offstage to be shot because it stinks.
That dog seemed to have true fear and bewilderment in its eyes. It felt, well, human, in a way none of the people did, and my heart sank when I knew it wouldn’t be coming back. Of Mice and Men. Longacre Theater. W. 4. 8th St. Midtown West. Category. Broadway, Drama, Play. Credits. Written by John Steinbeck; Directed by Anna D. Shapiro. Cast. James Franco as George, Chris O'Dowd as Lennie, Alex Morf as Curley, Leighton Meester as Curley's Wife, Jim Norton as Candy, Ron Cephas Jones as Crooks, Joel Marsh Garland as Carlson, James Mc. Menamin as Whit, Jim Ortlieb as The Boss and Jim Parrack as Slim. Preview. March 1. Opened. April 1. 6, 2. Closing Date July 2. This information was last updated: April 2. Continue reading the main story. Of Mice and Men Cast List on Broadway.com, the most comprehensive source for Broadway Shows, Broadway Tickets and Broadway Information. Click here to. ![]()
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