‘Mice and Men’ for Kids and Adults
“Of Mice and Men” will be presented this month at the Bay Street Theater as part of its educational program called Literature Live, though adults need not fear that they will be seeing a school production.
The play, which was adapted for the stage by John Steinbeck from his novel of the same title in 1937, takes place during the Great Depression as two migrant farmworkers search for work and one of them dreams of someday farming his own land. The production begins on Monday, with the first public performances starting on Friday, Nov. 13. Some tickets, based on availability, may be purchased for the weekday shows, which are primarily for schools.
Steinbeck lived in Sag Harbor as a mostly summer resident from the mid-1950s to the late ’60s and wrote some of his later books there, among them “The Acts of King Arthur,” “The Winter of Our Discontent,” and “Travels With Charley.” A number of the topics introduced in “Of Mice and Men,” as well as Steinbeck’s connections to the village, will be addressed in talks following the productions.
Richard E. Hart, vice president for academic relations for the International Society of Steinbeck Scholars and an editorial board member of The Steinbeck Review, will speak after select school and public performances. Mr. Hart has contributed numerous articles to journals and book collections, and has lectured on Steinbeck at universities and conferences in this country and in Hungary, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Romania.
Other post-performance presentations will describe the conditions of migrant workers on the East End during the Depression. In 1949, a fire in a migrant camp in Bridgehampton killed two children of farm workers and led to the creation of the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, on land donated in the years that followed. Additional topics will cover Steinbeck’s other writings and the acceptance over time of people who are physically, intellectually, or emotionally disabled.
The speakers are from the Long Island Parent Center, the John Jermain Memorial Library, and the society of Steinbeck scholars. The Bridgehampton Museum will provide local farming artifacts, and Southampton’s Rogers Memorial Library will make available its archive of oral histories of farm families, in both text and audio, to specifically address the effect of the Depression locally. Canio’s will supply literary support with Steinbeck books and merchandise for purchase.
Both the cast and director have extensive credits. Joe Minutillo has directed several prior Literature Live productions, as well as plays around Suffolk County. Mr. Minutillo taught theater at Eastport-South Manor High School for many years before retiring in 2012.
Preston Truman Boyd will play the gentle giant who cannot stop breaking things; Joe Pallister will play George, who tries to protect Lenny while pursuing his own dreams. Supporting actors include Terry Brockbank, Josh Gladstone, Jon Kovach, J. Stephen Brantley, Georgia Warner, Sawyer Spielberg, and Chauncy Thomas. Many of the cast members have participated in prior Literature Live productions, including “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Crucible,” and “The Diary of Anne Frank,” as well as in Bay Street’s Mainstage productions.
Public performances will be presented Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 28. Information on weekday and holiday weekend performances is available from baystreet.org or from the Bay Street box office. Tickets for students are free toall performances; adult tickets range from $27 to $50.
The Century Arts Foundation, which supports the free student ticket initiative, has provided a challenge grant for donations up to $50,000. Donors will have their money matched dollar for dollar.