Review: OF MICE AND MEN: Steinbeck's Portrait of Human Frailty Bristles With Power and Consequence

When Lennie, the manchild of John Steinbeck's classic, OF MICE AND MEN, points with slightly bent finger to some undiscernible spot in the ether, it is as if a philosopher was seizing at a new concept. Time seems to stand still and suggest new possibility on the horizon. Suddenly, the moment ~ a split second ~ evaporates until it returns again and again to the pointer's forgetful mind, and whatever it was that he divined remains a mystery. However, what does remain is the image ~ one of several ~ crafted by Scott Greer in a stirring performance that cuts straight to the heart and gives heart to Arizona Theatre Company's current production.

Lennie is, of course, no philosopher ~ not in the way we normally define a man of reflection and thought ~ and we can never quite know what he sees off in the distance. His pensive interludes meld with displays of poignant innocence and unintended brutality. He is the prototypical stranger in a strange land, protected only by the good graces of his fellow traveler and begrudging caretaker, George (Jonathan Wainwright). If he has a dream of living off the fat of the land, it's not a dream he conjured but rather one he inherits from his sidekick. He is a teddy bear with the power to crush a fist or pat the life out of a pet.

Lennie's innocence and vulnerability is as complex as the atom, and Greer fuels the role ~ and thus the show ~ with controlled and beautifully nuanced energy and pathos.

ATC's staging of the play, a co-production with Milwaukee Repertory Theatre ~ first at the Quadracci Powerhouse, then in Tucson, and now in Phoenix ~ is directed by the renowned Mark Clements and features MRT's core ensemble whose experience with the play and past praise might have suggested a more evenly performed show. Despite some acting that seemed a bit too mechanical and inadequately inspired, there are some notable exceptions. To wit, as soon as Wainwright settles into his role and modulates (Act II), George's angst about Lennie takes on a more existential poignancy and his final solution is more devastatingly felt. James Pickering and Chike Johnson are outstanding in their portrayals of two ranch hands of different ages and life experiences who nevertheless share the internal struggle between good and evil that is common among all Steinbeck's characters.

Clements' artistic and choreographic sensibilities make this production a virtual work of art. Todd Edward Ivins' moveable sets glide into place, and a clearing in the woods transforms to a too perfectly engineered bunkhouse. When characters are silhouetted against an orange sky or lost in the woods, the dramatic effects are palpable and emblematic of Jesse Klug's lighting artistry.

OF MICE AND MEN is Steinbeck's unsparing account of man's struggle to reveal his humanity while tangling with his demons. Each character in the play seeks a sense of place and purpose. Each struggles with isolation, the fear of abandonment, the yearning for company ~ and each, Darwinian, to the end, will strive to be among the survivors. So, yes, each may dream, like George and Lennie, to live off the fat of the land but find that their best laid plans often go awry.

There is substance and depth enough to make OF MICE AND MEN a must-see before it leaves town.

OF MICE AND MEN continues its run at the Herberger Theater Center through April 17th.

Photo credit to Michael Brosilow