Bay Street Theater unveils a Literature Live! production of John Steinbeck’s "Of Mice and Men" opening this weekend and continuing through November 28, 2015. The production is a unique one as it's geared to connect students to literature while still holding its appeal to general audiences.
The cast is made up of many local actors from Shelter Island, East Hampton, Hampton Bays and Calverton who have participated in a variety of programs at Bay Street Theater along with actors from New York City. The cast includes Preston Truman Boyd (Lennie), Joe Pallister (George), Terry Brockbank (Candy), Josh Gladstone (Boss), Jon Kovach (Curley), J. Stephen Brantley (Slim), Georgia Warner (Curley’s Wife), Sawyer Spielberg (Whit), Chauncy Thomas (Crooks). The production is directed by Joe Minutillo with fight direction by Rick Sordelet.
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Chauncy Thomas, Georgia Warner, Preston Truman Boyd, Joe Pallister. Photo by Jerry Lamonica.
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The play may take on extra significance as novelist John Steinbeck was a residence of Sag Harbor. Some of the post-play programming addresses this tie directly with conversations planned on both Steinbeck's historical ties to the Hamptons community and the experience of migrant workers on the East End during the Great Depression.
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Joe Pallister and Preston Truman Boyd. Photo by Jerry Lamonica.
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"Of Mice and Men" is a compelling tale of friendship and survival in the time of the Great Depression. George and Lennie are two migrant farm workers who dream of one day owning their own piece of land. But when Lennie gets too close to the wife of the boss’s son, George must choose between protecting his friend and staying the course towards his version of the American Dream.
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Joe Pallister, Terry Brockbank, Preston Truman Boyd. Photo by Jerry Lamonica.
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The fully-staged professional production and its supporting programming offer students the unique opportunity to explore this classic tale and its themes in a variety of ways. To help students have the chance to experience Steinbeck's classic live on stage, attendance for students is free whether they are part of a school group or arrive on their own.
“Since the start of this program seven years ago, we’ve brought nearly 10,000 students from 53 schools across Long Island,” says Tracy Mitchell, Bay Street Theater’s Executive Director. “In working to ensure that theater remains accessible, this year we are once again offering the Free Student Ticket Initiative. And we’ve seen a large jump in the number of students attending because of it. I hope everyone will take advantage of this opportunity.”
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Georgia Warner. Photo by Jerry Lamonica.
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Bay Street Theater will also collaborate with local organizations and artists to additionally enhance audience members’ experience. In the lobby, The Bridgehampton Historical Society exhibits historical artifacts presenting themes of farming and migrant workers on the East End.
The Roger Memorial Library provides historic audio and visual files (Talking Histories) of local farm families. Additional images and graphs illustrate the overall impact of the Great Depression.
The theatrical process itself will also be revealed in the lobby exhibition through images and sketches of the rehearsal process taking place up until the show’s opening to students only earlier this week. Steinbeck's novel will be available for purchase in the lobby, courtesy of Canio's Books.
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Preston Truman Boyd and Chauncy Thomas. Photo by Jerry Lamonica.
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Literature Live! has served students from Wyandanch to Montauk. Cast members in "Of Mice and Men" have participated in previous Literature Live productions including "To Kill a Mockingbird", "The Crucible", and "The Diary of Anne Frank."
John Steinbeck (1902-1968) was an award-winning writer who won the Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath and the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature. Steinbeck worked as manual worker, held odd jobs, and dropped out of Stanford University before achieving success as a writer. Later, he was a war correspondent during World War II.
Steinbeck's novels include The Grapes of Wrath (1939), Of Mice and Men (1937), Tortilla Flat (1935), In Dubious Battle (1936), East of Eden (1952), The Winter of Our Discontent (1961), written in Sag Harbor, and others.
John and Elaine Steinbeck, his third wife, lived in Sag Harbor and New York City from 1955 until his death in 1968.
The play "Of Mice and Men" was adapted from the novel and premiered on Broadway in November 1937 at the Music Box Theatre. The play won the 1938 New York Drama Critics' Circle. Broadway revivals were staged in 1974 and 2014 and an Off-Broadway revival in 1987.
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BASIC FACTS: "Of Mice and Men" will be staged weekends from November 13 to 28, 2015 at Bay Street Theater. Performances are held on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m. Students attend free with ID. Adult admission is $27 - $50 and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or online at www.baystreet.org. For details, click here.
Bay Street Theater is located at 1 Bay Street, Sag Harbor, NY 11963.
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