Elm Street Presents: Of Mice & Men!

From Elm Street Arts: Starting March 15th Elm Street Cultural Arts Village leaps from the page to the stage with the opening night of Of Mice & Men, a play based on the classic novel. Ranch workers Lennie and George migrate across California during the Great Depression in search of work and their version of the American Dream - owning land of their own. Throughout the course of the play, they both realize this is not as easily attainable as they originally imagined.

“Tragedies were created to record stories, but also to portray life,” says Elm Street’s Associate Artistic Director Siobhan Brumbelow. Brumbelow feels that presenting dramatic pieces is essential to not only a well-rounded season, but also a well-rounded audience member. “If everything around us was sugarcoated all the time, we wouldn’t learn to appreciate life. John Steinbeck reminds us that even the modestly attainable dreams are still difficult to achieve. The idea of those things being taken away is a tragic one and a good reminder of human suffering.” The original novel by John Steinbeck was published in 1937 and aside from being a staple in high school English classes, has become a first-hand look into the Great Depression and the experience of migrant workers at the time. Since then, the story has taken a life of its own - from plays to movies to even an opera. The most recent adaptation featured James Franco on Broadway in 2014.

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Of Mice & Men features a small, 9 member cast that works together to bring a sense of community and dynamic relationships to the play. Brumbelow adds that friendship and comradery play a big role in the show, particularly for the characters of George and Lennie.
The show is running for two weekends from March 15th through March 24th and is perfect for book clubs, history buffs, and anyone who loves classic works of literature. Of Mice & Men is rated R for language and themes of violence.

The complete performance schedule is as follows:

Friday/Saturday March 15th, March 16th- 7:30pm
March 22nd, 23rd - 7:30pm
Sunday March 17th - 2:30pm
March 24th - 2:30pm

Tickets are on sale now at www.elmstreetarts.org. Prices are $15 in advance and $18 at the door.

Image via Elm Street Arts