‘Of Mice and Men’ at UofSC Lab Theatre

The University of South Carolina Department of Theatre and Dance will present the classic American drama “Of Mice and Men” from Feb. 29-March 3 at the Lab Theatre, 1400 Wheat St., on the first floor of the Booker T. Washington building.

John Steinbeck’s theatrical adaptation of his novella still packs the same gut-wrenching punch as when it premiered on Broadway in 1937.

Set in the fields of California during the Great Depression, the story follows two migrant drifters, short-tempered George and his simple-minded but physically powerful companion Lenny. After they find employment at a new farm, the two friends strive to work hard and realize a shared goal of owning their own land, but their American Dream is soon threatened by the boss’ brutish son and their involvement in a fatal tragedy.

Director David Britt, a senior theater instructor, said his aim with the production is to honor Steinbeck’s emotionally gripping story while making the characters’ historically inspired struggles relatable to today’s audiences.

“We’ve done sociological and psychological research, looking at each character as an individual going through life at that time,” Britt said. “We’re trying to make a connection between who they were then and who we are now.”

Steinbeck’s portrait of itinerant workers, doing what they must to survive in unforgiving economic and social systems, Britt said, is one that still has striking relevance more than 80 years after it was first published.

“We’ve created circumstances again in this country where people are living very similarly to how these characters lived. We may not see it in Columbia, but migrant farms are bustling. It’s our way of life, unfortunately,” he said.

“The central issue for these characters is their own survival. Steinbeck was a realist and is showing us a world made of the weak and the strong — the mice and men — and the mice may not survive.”

Appearing in the production are David Alexander, Logan Brodfuehrer, Emmylou Clark, Damian Garrod, Cameron Giordano, Nick Good, Madison Hammonds, Will Hollerung, Brendan Martyn, Michael Taylor and Jacob Wilson. Production designers include Andy Mills (scenic), Kennedy-Reid Roberts (costume), Xander von Klar (lighting) and Kelsey McCloskey (sound). Ally Weaver is stage managing the show.

Britt sees this staging as an invitation to the community to experience a true classic of American theater and literature.

“That’s why we chose it and why we’re doing it,” he said. “It’s a classic, timeless story about the fragility of friendship, of hopes and of dreams. And, I hope it inspires every audience member to think about how willing they are to take care of each other.”

Show times are 8pm nightly. Tickets for the production are $10, and available online at theatre.sc.edu or at the door.

Special to GoColumbia

This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 9:09 AM with the headline "‘Of Mice and Men’ at UofSC Lab Theatre."