Of Mice and Men - Arizona Theatre Company

PLAY GUIDE
2015
2016
About ATC …………………………………………………………………………………….. 1
Introduction to the Play ……………………………………………………………………..….. 2
Meet the Author …………………………………………………..…………………………… 2
Meet the Characters …………………………………………….……………….…………….. 4
Adaptation: Of Mice and Men …………………………………..….……………………………. 5
Themes in the Play ……………………………………………..……………………………… 7
Cultural Context: 1930s America ……………………..…………………………………………. 8
The Wild West …………………………………………………………………………………. 13
Social Perceptions of Disability …………………………………………………………………. 16
Behind the Scenes: Meet Lola ………………………………………………………………….. 18
Game Rules …………………………………………………..………………………………. 19
Glossary ……………………………………………………………………………………… 21
Of Mice and Men Play Guide edited and designed by Katherine Monberg, ATC Literary Manager, with assistance from Luke Young, Learning &
Education Manager; Shelby Athouguia and Bryanna Patrick, Learning & Education Associates; Kacie Claudel, Chloe Loos, Gabriel Oladipo, and
Angelina Valencia, Contributing Writers; and Joy Nielsen, Editorial Assistant.
SUPPORT FOR ATC’S LEARNING & EDUCATION PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN PROVIDED
BY:
APS
Rosemont Copper
Arizona Commission on the Arts
Stonewall Foundation
Bank of America Foundation
Target
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
The Boeing Company
City of Glendale
The Donald Pitt Family Foundation
Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
The Johnson Family Foundation, Inc.
Cox Charities
The Lovell Foundation
Downtown Tucson Partnership
The Marshall Foundation
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
The Maurice and Meta Gross Foundation
Ford Motor Company Fund
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation
The Stocker Foundation
JPMorgan Chase
The WIlliam L. and Ruth T. Pendleton Memorial Fund
John and Helen Murphy Foundation
Tucson Medical Center
National Endowment for the Arts
Tucson Pima Arts Council
Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture
Wells Fargo
PICOR Charitable Foundation
ABOUT ATC
Arizona Theatre Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre company. This means that all of our artists, administrators
and production staff are paid professionals, and the income we receive from ticket sales and contributions goes right back
into our budget to create our work, rather than to any particular person as a profit.
Eash season, ATC employs hundreds of actors, directors and designers from all over the country to create the work you see
on stage. In addition, ATC currently employs approximately 50 staff members in our production shops and administrative
offices in Tucson and Phoenix during our season. Among these people are carpenters, painters, marketing professionals,
fundraisers, stage directors, sound and light board operators, tailors, costume designers, box office agents, stage crew - the
list is endless - representing an amazing range of talents and skills.
We are also supported by a Board of Trustees, a group of business and community leaders who volunteer their time and
expertise to assist the theatre in financial and legal matters, advise in marketing and fundraising, and help represent the
theatre in our community.
Roughly 150,000 people attend our shows every year, and several thousand of those people support us with charitable
contributions in addition to purchasing their tickets. Businesses large and small, private foundations and the city and
state governments also support our work financially.
All of this is in support of our vision and mission:
The mission of Arizona Theatre Company is to inspire, engage and entertain - one
moment, one production and one audience at a time.
Our mission is to create professional theatre that continually strives to reach new levels of artistic excellence that resonates
locally, in the state of Arizona and throughout the nation. In order to fulfill our mission, the theatre produces a broad
repertoire ranging from classics to new works, engages artists of the highest caliber, and is committed to assuring access
to the broadest spectrum of citizens.
The Herberger Theater Center, ATC’s performance venue in downtown
Phoenix.
The Temple of Music and Art, the home of ATC shows in downtown
Tucson.
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INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY
Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
Directed by Mark Clements
Winner of the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play
Emotional and stirring, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men
follows two friends – Lennie and George – as they drift from
job to job across the fields and farms of Central California
during the hardship of 1930s America. This is a timeless
tale of friendship, loneliness, loyalty, sacrifice, and the
Jonathan Wainwright, Jonathan Gillard Daly, and Scott Greer in
ATC’s Of Mice and Men. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
human connections that form our bedrock for survival in
desperate times. Of Mice and Men is as resonant,
emotionally shattering and startlingly relevant now as ever
before.
MEET THE AUTHOR
John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (1902-1968) was born February 27, 1902 in Salinas,
California to Episcopal parents – a retired teacher and manager of a flour mill
– as the third of four siblings. He had two older sisters, Esther and Beth, and a
younger sister named Mary. While his family was staunchly middle class, his
parents often took the children to the theatre in San Francisco and ensured that
their children had plenty of literature to peruse. Steinbeck loved reading, a
passion which began to manifest at age 14 when he began to write. In his
teenage years, Steinbeck’s easy-going childhood took a hit when his father, John
Sr., lost his job at the mill, and then opened a failed feed store before finally
becoming became county treasurer. From 1919 to 1925, Steinbeck attended
Stanford University in pursuit of an English degree that he never obtained. He
also worked a variety of odd jobs, such as a laborer in sugar factories and mills
John Steinbeck in 1962 during his trip to
Sweden to accept the Nobel Prize for
Literature.
as well as a ranch hand; these experiences heavily influenced some of his later
works.
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Steinbeck met Carol Henning in Lake Tahoe in 1929 – shortly
after completion of Cup of Gold (1929) – and married her in
Los Angeles on January 14, 1930. While living in Pacific Grove,
Steinbeck wrote, and Carol worked to support them. While he had
some publications, his first true success and claim to fame
came in 1935 with the positive reception of Tortilla Flat, a
novella about “paisanos” (countrymen) living out their lives
following World War I. Steinbeck’s California Novels, In Dubious
The Steinbeck House in Salinas, California, where John
Steinbeck spent his childhood.
Battle (1936), Of Mice and Men (1937), and The Grapes of
Wrath (1939) displayed a transition from his previous stories of
his home to tales involving labor issues. The Grapes of Wrath
originated journalistically after the San Francisco News asked him to investigate migrant camps near Bakersfield. While this
novel is considered to represent the upper echelon of his work – it won him the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction – and was the topselling novel of 1939, the controversy surrounding its politics led to its ban and a boom of unwanted fame, which in turn led
to the decline of Steinbeck’s health and marriage. He and Carol divorced in 1943; shortly afterward, Steinbeck married
Gwendolyn Conger, who would become the mother of his children, Thomas and John IV.
Steinbeck, while patriotic, was denied a commission in the armed forces during World War II due to suspected communist
leanings, and he took to writing war propaganda instead. Some examples include Bombs Away: The Story of a Bomber
Team (1942) and The Moon is Down (1942). In 1943, he was hired by the New York Herald Tribune to report on the war,
and his correspondences during this time were published in the collection Once There Was a War. Afterwards, he
published Cannery Row (1945) and The Pearl (1947). Cannery Row was Steinbeck’s post-war novel in which he gently
prodded at the characters who work on Ocean View Avenue; it was also a tribute to his friend, Ed Ricketts, who influenced his
earlier work The Pearl, which was an extension of a story Steinbeck had heard on one of their many trips. His political
investment continued as he befriended and became an unofficial advisor to President Lyndon B. Johnson, who awarded him
the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964 for his literary contributions. An initial supporter of the Vietnam War, Steinbeck’s
opinion changed when he visited the country to report on the war.
The later portion of the 1950s was not kind to Steinbeck. Ecologist and marine biologist Ed Ricketts, his dear and influential
friend, died after being hit by a train, and Gwyn asked for a divorce. Steinbeck met Elaine Scott the following year; she would
become his final wife and companion as he returned to New York City, where he had briefly lived for a few years after
attending college. The two travelled avidly as Steinbeck returned part-time to journalism. His travels took him to England
where he worked on a modern English translation of Le Morte d’Arthur (an influential book he received in his youth) that
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was never completed. Following his return to the States in 1959, his work began to focus on what he perceived as America’s
moral lapses. Some later works of his career included East of Eden (1952), his self-named magnum opus, Travels with
Charley (1960), and The Winter of Our Discontent (1961). He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 to some
controversy as critics felt his work was one-note and crowded with pitiable philosophy; it was revealed in 2012 that he was a
compromise winner of a shortlist that was considered to be of poor quality. Due to the critical outcry and condemnation, he
ceased writing fiction. John Steinbeck died on December 20, 1968 from heart failure due to smoking and was cremated and
buried in Salinas, California: the town of his birth.
Today, Steinbeck is regarded as one of the great American writers due to his truthful (and sometimes experimental) voice
representing the common man and concern with social movements and protest. His writings are also considered an excellent
account of American history during the Great Depression, which supply interesting insight into America itself, as seen in his
later works. Many of his stories are required reading for public high schools, thereby allowing his influence to reach the
younger generation. He has been commemorated in multiple ways such as the preservation of his old homes, the renaming of
Ocean View Avenue to Cannery Row, and the creation of the National Steinbeck Center Museum. Steinbeck also enjoyed a
string of acclaimed Hollywood adaptations of his works with major stars including The Grapes of Wrath, Tortilla Flat,
and East of Eden, all of which are still lauded today.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
Actor Jonathan Wainwright,
who plays George in ATC’s
Of Mice and Men.
Actor Scott Greer, who
plays Lennie in ATC’s Of
Mice and Men.
Actor James Pickering, who
plays Candy in ATC’s Of
Mice and Men.
Actor Jonathan Gillard
Daly, who plays Boss in
ATC’s Of Mice and Men.
Actor Bernard Balbot, who
plays Curley in ATC’s Of
Actor James Farruggio, who
plays Slim in ATC’s Of
Mice and Men.
Actor Kelley Faulkner, who
plays Curley’s Wife in ATC’s
Of Mice and Men.
Actor Sean Patrick Fawcett,
who plays Carlson in ATC’s
Of Mice and Men.
Actor Riley O’Toole, who
plays Whit in ATC’s Of
Mice and Men.
Actor Chike Johnson, who
plays Crooks in ATC’s Of
Mice and Men.
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Mice and Men.
George: A migrant farm worker, the best friend and unofficial guardian of Lennie.
Lennie: A migrant farm worker, and the best friend of George.
Candy: An old, disabled worker at the ranch.
Boss: The superintendent of the ranch
Curley: The son of the Boss.
Slim: A respected jerk-line skinner at the ranch.
Curley’s Wife: The wife of Curley, and the only female in the play.
Carlson: A skinner at the ranch.
Whit: A young laborer and migrant farm worker.
Crooks: A black stable worker with a crooked back.
ADAPTATION: OF MICE AND MEN
Adaptation is the transformation of something from one
medium into a different medium, or a change in the same
medium for different purposes. As evidenced by the recent influx
of Hollywood film adaptations of novels, reasons to do so may
be due to the popularity or structure of the story, perhaps the
popularity of the author, or a desire for familiarity. There have
always been theatrical adaptations, based on both film and
literature. Examples include Hamilton, Fun Home, all
versions of Dracula, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Diary
James Farruggio and Jonathan Wainwright in ATC’s Of Mice and
Men. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
of Anne Frank, and others. When it comes to literature,
theatrical adaptations typically attempt to break through to the
core story and message without including all the extra, unnecessary pages for the transition to a new genre. Some novels
translate more easily than others, and the playwright-adapter is allowed creative license to make the work fit better
onstage. Works can be adapted across genres or to suit different audiences, as demonstrated by the Broadway Jr. scripts,
which are versions of original plays that have been adapted to make the story more suitable for younger audiences.
Of Mice and Men is often considered one of the great novellas – shorter than a novel, but longer than a short story – of
the American canon. However, it is interesting to note that the experimental structure which Steinbeck developed for this
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work and others, including The Moon is Down (1942) and Burning Bright (1950), was deemed by him as a “playnovelette.” The novella version of Of Mice and Men is written in the objective third person, in which neither the author nor
reader is given access to the character’s inner thoughts and feelings, and therefore must deduce them from their actions
and remarks – much like a play. Steinbeck avoided narration and used minimal action descriptions along with
much like a stageable drama. Other theatrical conventions employed in the novella are the use of only three locations, the
pattern of placing set descriptions at the beginning of each scene that gradually fade away to focus on the dialogue,
frequent entrances and exits, and careful emphasis on the lighting of each scene to focus attention, as would the use of
light on stage.
The original novella was written in this experimental way in the hope that the work
could easily function as a play script, but an abysmal first production in San Francisco
led to Steinbeck’s enlistment of George Kaufman – a well-respected Broadway
playwright, director, and critic – to direct the new, revised script. This new script was
critically lauded and ran at the New York Music Box Theatre for 207 performances in
1937, starring Wallace Ford as George and Broderick Crawford as Lennie. Since then,
there have been many regional productions of the play as well as a 1974 Broadway
revival starring Kevin Conway as George and James Earl Jones as Lennie and the recent
2014 revival featuring James Franco and Chris O’Dowd. There have been two Hollywood
film adaptations of Of Mice and Men as well, in 1939 and 1992.
The novella has not been without critics, as evidenced by Of Mice and Men’s
frequent appearance on banned and censored lists. According the American Library
Promotional image for the 2014
Broadway revival of Of Mice and
Men starring James Franco as George
and Chris O’Dowd as Lennie.
Association, most of the listed reasons for censorship regard the use of profanity – or
offensive language regarding race, women, people with disabilities, and God – sexual overtones, negative and depressing
themes, as well as violence, immorality, an anti-business tone, and the promotion of euthanasia. Many of Steinbeck’s
works have faced similar censorship for portraying, as he intended, real people speaking their real language. Of course, a
major reason the book has been historically banned is due to the time period in which it was published; people often don’t
want to see a negative reflection of their culture, no matter how accurate and truthful it may be. Still, the novel remains an
oft required reading book for high school and college students around the United States and beyond.
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THEMES IN THE PLAY
Steinbeck adapts his writing style to his characters, to write in the way the characters would speak. The language may be
simple, but the themes remain compelling, like the characters. Many authors write about historical events, such as the
Great Depression, to offer their opinions on how society is shaping itself. Steinbeck uses this play to suggest that all the
characters and their stories remain important. Even though they do not have access to the advanced vocabularies of other
character types, they communicate about issues that truly matter. Here are some explicit themes in the play:
Innocence/Animals
Lennie’s learning disability prevents him from realizing the
consequences of his actions; his mind is innocent. He loves
spending time with George and playing with animals, but does
not fully understand his own strength. Lennie’s innocence
protects him from the reality of his actions, but it does not
protect the people around him, or the animals in his care. The
play touches on issues of innocence, guilt and morality, often
Lola, the canine actor in ATC’s Of Mice and Men
depicted through the appearance of animals and their
relationships with the human characters. The fact that Lennie
Lennie himself is innocent, but can also unintentionally injure innocent animals presents a recurring question throughout
the play. Some argue that Lennie’s childlike innocence is preferable to its destruction; set in the landscape of the Great
Depression, it seems that neither path proved successful. Lennie was oblivious to the harshness of his own impact on the
world around him, which ultimately resulted in serious personal consequences.
Isolation
Traveling workers during the Great Depression arguably
symbolize the loneliness of American history. Even in situations
in which these characters seem to spend quite a bit of time
together, they still note their immense loneliness and sense of
isolation. Perhaps since migrant workers spent a lot of time
moving between jobs, they failed to make real, lasting human
connections. Many of the characters within the play provide the
impression that isolation is safer than togetherness. George
Kelley Faulkner and Scott Greer in ATC’s Of Mice and Men.
Photo by Michael Brosilow.
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and Lennie’s friendship is notably different and important because they are never truly isolated, no matter how different
they might seem.
Attachment
George and Lennie are about as different as two friends can be, but they steadfastly stand united. They treat their
friendship like the most important aspect of their lives because, without each other, they truly have nothing else to claim
as their own. They travel the country together, work together, and endure the hardships of the Great Depression together.
The togetherness of these two friends remains cyclical throughout the entire play, and comes to a confusing crossroads
when options and opportunities become harshly limited at the end of the narrative. Friendship between two ranch hands
seems like an important means by which to maintain a sense of sanity, but some might argue that such a life may be
better suited to people who enjoy being alone. The weight of and stress induced by the Great Depression manifested in the
thwarting of dreams, and the seemingly unattainable nature of happiness. Some might also argue that George and Lennie
act out of love for one another, even once the inevitability of negative consequences becomes apparent.
Instinct
The ranch represents a world of self-interest; the pursuit of individual motivations is important to every character.
Animal-like instincts undermine goodness or justice, and cruelty is widely accepted among the men on the ranch because
their circumstances seem unalterable. Lennie loves animals, but hurts them; Crooks tends to the horses that hurt him. In
the world in which these men live, love is independent of safety. The harshness of their world emphasizes the reality that
sometimes things they love will die, and that sometimes the things they love must be killed.
CULTURAL CONTEXT: 1930s AMERICA
The Great Depression and Migrant Farmers
Migrant workers were agricultural workers, mostly men, who
travelled to find work. This agricultural framework was
especially prominent during the Great Depression. Migrant
workers existed before the Great Depression, and they included
many minority populations. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck
focuses on migrant workers in California; while there were
plenty, there were also many in Colorado, the Atlantic Coast,
Texas, and everywhere in between. Before the Great Depression,
there were an estimated 200,000-350,000 agricultural workers
traveling the country.
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Migrant farm workers during the Great Depression.
A migrant worker typically held a particular job for a short time, usually doing something that others didn’t want to do, and
then they’d be on their way again to find their next job. Migrant workers were usually poor, and because of their social
standing, they were often social outcasts. Their pay was considerably small, but a migrant worker could expect to be
provided living accommodations for the duration of their employment in shanties, old barns, chicken coops or even open
fields. They sometimes found abandoned cabins or barns to sleep in, leaving them to deal with broken doors and windows,
leaky roofs, the surrounding communities, and other homeless workers.
The Great Depression further worsened the plight of migrant workers. People
all over the country scrambled to find work to provide for their families,
leading many to travel to the west coast to seek better fortunes. Unfortunately,
the Great Depression also decreased the amount of land being cultivated for
agricultural production. This made it extremely difficult for a worker to be paid
in full for their labor because the surplus of workers was so great. Between the
years 1928 and 1933, the pay of a migrant worker in California dropped from
$0.35 per hour to $0.14 per hour, making their compensation rate one of worst
in the country. Mexican immigrants made up a considerable portion of migrant
workers in the early decades of the 20th century. These workers were
encouraged to return to Mexico by both the American and Mexican
governments, but while a considerable number left voluntarily, there were
many who were subjected to aggressive repatriation campaigns, deportation,
and hostility from their surrounding communities. Many were offered free train
Migrant farm workers, 1930s.
rides across the border, but many others were tricked or coerced to leave the
country.
Many workers found that upon their arrival in California, most of the farmland had been commercialized and was
cultivated with sophisticated technology to which they were unaccustomed. Many workers gave up farming and built
communities with scrap metal and other found materials outside of large cities. They lived without plumbing or electricity,
few garbage facilities, and polluted water which led to frequent outbreaks of smallpox, tuberculosis, typhoid, and malaria.
During the Great Depression, there was a slew of legislation that addressed the poor working conditions of many
Americans, which attempted to rebuild the American economy. Unfortunately, migrant workers were largely excluded from
most legal action, including the New Deal, the National Industrial Recovery Act, and the National Labor Relations Act. The
Agricultural Adjustment Act was passed in the 1930s which attempted to raise migrant workers’ pay by giving stipends to
the farmers, but the stipends were often misused to buy newer equipment, further eliminating more of the available jobs.
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Migrant workers organized strikes and unions, demanding better pay and living conditions.
By 1935 there were
approximately 100 unions representing thousands of migrant workers across the country. The Farm Security Administration
was aware of the plight of the migrant farm worker, and strove to address their needs. By 1942, the FSA had built 95
camps for migrant workers that could house 75,000 people and provided adult education programs, schools, laundry
facilities, and health services. The construction of these camps was representative of progress; however, there were still
many improvements to be made in the life of a migrant worker.
California: The American Dream?
The idea of the “American Dream” began as soon as the United States came into
being. Immigrants traveled from all over the world to achieve freedom and
prosperity in America. This created a false ideal: the hope of an untarnished
happiness that perhaps, to this day, creates dissatisfaction with those who face
systemic or insurmountable challenges in the pursuit of their greatest goals.
Audience members connect to this in the world of the play because everyone
portrayed on stage wants something, but obstacles always seem to get in the way.
George and Lennie dream of owning a farm, but they do not accomplish very much
of that dream before it disappears in the midst of heartbreak and failure; Crooks
points out that all ranch hands dream of owning their own farms. Owning their
own farm was George and Lennie’s version of the American Dream: their white
Kelley Faulkner and Bernard Balbot in ATC’s
Of Mice and Men. Photo by Michael
Brosilow.
picket fence, with two dogs and an ocean view. The Great Depression
unfortunately destroyed the dreams of many Americans, especially for citizens on
the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum, like George and Lennie.
The play depicts of multiple forms of prejudice throughout the story, but never explicitly speaks out against them. Some
scholars have argued that the unhappiness of people during the Great Depression may have led to increased prejudiced
toward others, fueled by a sense of self-interest. Characters who face prejudice in the play seem to generally accept their
treatment; they may occasionally complain, but Curley’s wife, Crooks, Lennie, and Candy, all of whom experience various
“isms” of prejudice, do not seem to dwell on feelings of inexcusable injustice. They simply learn to live their lives with the
racism, sexism, ableism, and ageism that they have come to expect from their circumstances, which have been arranged
to take advantage of their perceived weaknesses. Slim and George seem to be the only characters that overcome weakness
by taking up arms when necessary, though it is also implied that there is more to strength than the use of a gun.
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Most of the characters in the play seem more focused on what
limits them than what sets them free. Lennie and George are
tied down to the ranch because of their need for money,
making it difficult for them to realize their dream of owning a
ranch. Crooks is limited because of overt racism; Curley’s wife
is limited by overt sexism. Except for the moments in which
these characters are caught up in the intensity of their
dreams, they convey an overall sense of hopelessness, and
Scott Greer and Chike Johnson in ATC’s Of Mice and Men. Photo
by Michael Brosilow.
confinement consumes their dreams of freedom.
Feminism, equality between men and women, was not generally regarded as a high social priority during the Great
Depression, somewhat overshadowed by the extreme and prevalent poverty. Traditional attitudes toward gender were
manifest, in which women were often regarded as sexual objects, extensions of their men, who could be bought and
controlled. The men in this play, who spend their days traveling for work, generally lack female companionship, which
leads to Curley’s overprotective behavior toward his wife. As migrant workers, they do not really have the option to settle
down, because their livelihoods depend upon their ability to move from ranch to ranch. Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife to
represent the difficulties women faced during the Great Depression, but also seems to subtly suggest that the men are
better off without women because their enticing sexuality somewhat interferes with the important bonds between men.
The American Dream debatably led to disappointment as the average American realized the unattainable nature of the
dream in concert with the cyclical nature of capitalist oppression; while this was particularly relevant during the hardships
of the Great Depression, the ripples of that understanding can be arguably traced through to the present day. Though the
rags to riches story still holds a certain appeal, many never truly achieve satisfaction as the continual quest for more is
made manifest. Each character in the play has a different idea of what the ideal American life should be like, spanning
from golden Hollywood to a quiet ranch life, but all of their visions have one thing in common: they are unattainable for the
common man, suggesting that the American Dream which haunts their very existence does not, in itself, exist.
Farming in the Salinas Valley: Then and Now
The Salinas Valley is a beautiful stretch of land in Monterey County, California, and an agricultural power house. It was
also John Steinbeck’s home and has been repeatedly depicted in his work. The Salinas Valley is excessively fertile, and is
the source of multiple fruits and vegetables, of which iceberg lettuce is its most prominent crop.
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Lettuce was the most-consumed vegetable in the United States
during the Great Depression, and remains at the top of the list.
However, lettuce is a difficult vegetable to grow and export
because it is only edible when fresh; it cannot be canned or
dried. Extreme temperatures are particularly harmful to lettuce
growth, which requires an environment with stable temperatures
throughout the day. Lettuce must also be kept cool and wet in
order for it to grow well. Prior to 1920, lettuce had been grown
The Salinas Valley, California.
primarily on the east coast, but it was only available a few
months out of the year, and the climate made its cultivation difficult, making lettuce production one of the riskiest
agricultural investments. Thankfully, the Salinas Valley was the answer to all of these problems. The valley is six miles
wide on the south, and as it heads north and east, it opens up to Monterey Bay at a width of 15 miles, ushering in friendly
fog that protects the lettuce from the warmest parts of the day. Fortunately for investors, this area is so close to the ocean
that its temperature is constant almost year round, making it possible to grow lettuce eight months out of the year.
Irrigation is easy with the Salinas River running right through the valley, making this land extremely valuable to the
vegetable industry.
The land of the Salinas Valley has changed hands multiple times
throughout history; this land was subject to European Imperialism at the
hands of the Spanish government until Mexico achieved independence in
1821. In 1847, Mexico gave the large section of land that held California
and parts of other states to the United States government as part of the
treaty that ended the Mexican-American War. The Salinas Valley housed an
agrarian community up until the late 19th century. Farming was minimal,
just enough to provide for the inhabitants of the land and their cattle. In
the 1880s, there were approximately 830 farms and just over 11,000 people
Map depicting the route of the Salinas River.
in the Salinas Valley; however, when it came into the possession of the
United States, the number of farms increased by 50% and the population
almost doubled. The area developed quickly, and eventually became a hub for the growth and export of produce. The
Salinas Valley was already known to be hospitable to many types of crops, but even into the 1910s it produced no
significant amount of lettuce. However, by the 1920s, the Salinas Valley had its first commercial farm, and commercial
farming has grown to such an extent that now the valley is responsible for producing 45-50% of the country’s iceberg
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lettuce. In the 1930s, the commercialization of the fields and the effects of the Great Depression led to an increase in the
number of migrant laborers who came looking for work — laborers like George and Lennie within Steinbeck’s Of Mice
and Men.
THE WILD WEST
The era of the Wild West is a time that still lives on in American mythology, as encompassing the second half of the 19th
century and into the first decades of the 20th century. When people think of the American West, they usually think of
outlaws, cowboys, gold rushes, and unclaimed territory. While all of these things were defining characteristics of the
American development in the West, Steinbeck paints a picture that isn’t usually considered. As the 1930s stretched on in
the midst of the Great Depression, a new kind of western “frontier” came into being. Rather than a description of
westward expansion into physically uncharted territories, the westward migration of Dust Bowl residents to the west coast
sparked a new social frontier, in which established Californians met a massive influx of destitute migrants from other
impoverished areas of the nation.
Work and Migrancy
While the concept of the Wild West, even in its altered
1930s iteration, is familiar, most people know little about
how those in the era actually lived. While there are
certainly points at which popular conception lines up with
reality, for the most part the truth of people’s lives during
this period was more complicated than is often assumed.
Of Mice and Men, like many of Steinbeck’s other works,
deals with the reality of migrant workers in the midst of
the Great Depression, trying to eke out a living in bleak
The Company of ATC’s Of Mice and Men in the migrant workers’
quarters. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
circumstances.
During the 1930s, approximately 1.3 million people migrated to California from the Midwest and Southwest in search of
work; by the fall of 1931, as many as 1,200-1,500 migrants entered the state of California every day. With conditions bleak
in their home states, travelers hoped to find a more plentiful working environment. However, the Depression made their
goals all the more difficult to attain. While the number of people in search of jobs increased, the amount of land in
production decreased. Additionally, farmers who owned the means of production were themselves facing economic
difficulties and often lowered workers’ wages in order to cut costs.
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As early as 1935, vagrancy laws aimed at punishing those who “roam from place to place without any lawful business”
were put into effect, punishable by fines, imprisonment, or deportation to the state line — a consequence emphatically
protested by bordering states. The Jones-Redwine Bill was proposed to the California State Assembly in May 1935, which
would “prohibit all paupers, vagabonds, indigent persons and persons likely to become public charges” from entering the
state of California, including those with visible illnesses or disabilities. Extensions of these vagrancy laws also
criminalized those who assisted the migration of “vagrants” into the state of California, citing increased crime rates as
the result of transient people. The city of Los Angeles went so far as to establish the Bum Blockade which, in addition to
arresting, fingerprinting and sentencing vagrants to hard labor or deportation, established police officers at California
borders to keep undesirable migrants from entering the state.
The 1935 closure of the Federal Transient Camps, first established by the Federal Transient Program in the early 1930s to
help those made homeless by the Great Depression, eliminated federal financial support dedicated to the care of migrant
migrant workers. California, as the site of many of the Federal Transient Camps, was left to care for the destitute and
stigmatized migrants; by the middle of the Great Depression, California was home to one of every seven homeless persons
in the nation.
The Bum Blockade was lifted in April of 1936, though not as a
result of the widespread criticism and subsequent legal
conflicts, but rather due to the prohibitive cost of maintaining
a permanent border patrol. However, the legal issues brought
to light resulted in a 1941 Supreme Court case, Edwards v.
California, which cited the Fourteenth Amendment to declare
it unconstitutional to take legal action against those bringing
nonresidents into the state. The use of the Fourteenth
Amendment also set a legal precedent; originally created to
ensure equal citizenship rights of those born in the U.S.
regardless of race, the application of the Amendment to
Imperial Valley – People in Camps (1935). Photograph by
Dorothea Lange, depicting life in a camp for migrant farm
workers during the Great Depression.
issues of class expanded its interpretable power to include
parallel situations of persecution due to class and economic
status.
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Language
One of the things most frequently remembered about the West was its colorful language. Slang is used heavily in the play,
as it was at the time (and is today). The people of the West had a reputation for coarseness, but what often goes overlooked
is the uniqueness and innovation of their speech and slang. There was plenty of the rough speech that we think of, but also
a playfulness and energy that still captivates audiences today. Here are some words and phrases which showcase this
style of speech, some of which are still widely-used (for more, visit the Glossary):
• A lick and a promise: to do a haphazard job, as in, "She just gave it a lick and a promise."
• Fat in the fire: to have one's plans frustrated, as in, "If I don’t get this job completed, the fat’s going
to be in the fire.”
• Indian giver: derived from the Native American tradition to reciprocate the giving of items or gifts.
Somewhat derogatorily perceived by the cultural collision between Native Americans and white
colonists, the term came to describe someone who, after having given something away, expects to
receive something in return.
• Jimmying a bull: shooting a law enforcement officer.
Life
Due to economic hardship, life was hard for many people out west. The Great Depression in combination with difficult
weather conditions at the time resulted in high poverty levels; however, in many parts of the country people tried to help
one another through the difficulty of Depression, providing for one another and supporting unified communities. One major
barrier to this in the West (as is touched on in the play) is that many workers led transitory lifestyles that didn’t lend
themselves to the fostering of community. In order to earn a steady income, workers had to go where the harvest was at all
times of year, leading them all over the region.
Despite this, there were still methods by which people came together. Some people found stability for a time through
migrant work camps established by the Farm Security Administration, a branch of the New Deal which aimed to alleviate
rural poverty by providing housing, food, and medicine for farm families. These camps allowed people to avoid the
discrimination they faced in the U.S. at large and build a sense of shared community with one another, and which
continues to operate in the current century as the Farmers Home Administration.
While not looking for work, migrant workers took part in activities such as singing and music-making, activities which were
creative and life-affirming while also being cost-effective for those who didn’t have many resources. Communal activities
such as storytelling events and dances were also held, as well as inexpensive home entertainments such as games of
cards and horseshoes.
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SOCIAL PERCEPTIONS OF DISABILITY
Disability can be an uncomfortable topic in the United States because people often don’t know how to talk about it;
disability awareness, accessibility initiatives and cultural sensitivity toward disability are still fresh in United States
history. A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a person’s ability to perform
major life activities such as walking, reading, or performing self-care activities. A developmental disability is a life-long
disability attributed to mental and/or physical impairments which manifest before 22 years of age and are likely to
continue indefinitely. A disability can be something that someone is born with, that occurs from severe trauma, or develops
with age.
Attitudes toward people with disabilities differ greatly from culture to culture;
however, the United States in particular has traditionally demonstrated an overall
negative perception of people with disabilities. During the 18th century, it was
believed that someone with a disability could be cured by the advancements of
science. However, the philosophy of Social Darwinism, which embraced survival of
the fittest and natural selection, became more prominent during the 19th century;
when scientific advancement failed to address or “fix” particular disabilities,
persons with disabilities were taught to function socially in society but were
discouraged from having children in order to keep from passing their DNA to the
next generation. There was opposition to providing aid to people with disabilities
for the sake of allowing the “best” and the “fittest” to succeed.
A person with a disability was traditionally thought to lack worth and be unable to
contribute to society. Thus, disabled persons were either tolerated or often
institutionalized, potentially against their will. During the 20th century, some
Scott Greer and Jonathan Wainwright in
ATC’s Of Mice and Men. Photo by
Michael Brosilow.
advancements were made in the care of those with physical disabilities,
particularly to veterans who were injured in war, but general negative stereotypes persisted. In the U.S., American social
politics really began to confront treatment and attitudes toward disabled persons after World War II, when the nation was
forced to recognize the physical and psychological effects of the war on the millions of soldiers returning home. Prior to
World War II, participation in federal vocational programs for people with disabilities had been limited to those deemed to
be “feasible” or self-supporting, which was extremely limited in its application; for example, because people with
blindness were assumed to be unable to fully support themselves, very little assistance was available. In January, 1944,
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt made a commitment to the large number of servicemen blinded during the war by signing
an executive order to guarantee that they would receive “adequate training” to meet the new necessities of their lives.
Training included learning Braille, typing, writing, and orientation (or independent travel), as well as the use of a crossbody protective long cane technique, further developed and improved upon by Richard Hoover in 1945.
Disability consciousness didn’t take firm hold until the 1960s when a general period of questioning and reflection was
introduced in the United States. People with disabilities started demanding to be included in the mainstream, including
demands for accessibility initiatives. Up until this point, a person with a disability was often completely dependent on the
healthcare professionals assigned to them; questioning their doctors, or demanding their right to seek other opinions was
greatly discouraged and could even result in the loss of their health care providers. People with disabilities were perceived
as sick patients in need of medical assistance, rather than as people capable of making their own medical decisions. The
general consensus was that a person with a disability should accept the “generosity” of their providers, unconditionally.
In 1990, the United States passed the Americans with Disabilities Act which defended people with disabilities from
discrimination in the hiring process and the workplace, and required reasonable accommodations be made for people with
disabilities in public places. Today, people with disabilities still comprise the smallest minority group in the workforce,
with an unemployment rate of approximately 70%.
Suffice it to say that an understanding of mental and physical disabilities was a long time in coming, and still has a long
way to go. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders wasn’t published until the 1950s, and is
currently in its fifth revision as of 2013. Although there is still some controversy surrounding the diagnosis of mental
disabilities or disorders, it is a symbol for a growing sensitivity and understanding.
In Of Mice and Men, Lennie has a mental disability, and finds comfort in petting small animals. Animals have
improved the quality of life for human beings for hundreds of years; however, it wasn’t until the 18th century that a case
of intentional animal use in therapy took place. Human interaction with friendly animals has proven to decrease stress,
improve self-esteem, and improve a person’s physical condition as well as their attitude and outlook.
Shortly after World War I, dogs began to be trained to help people with vision impairments. When these dogs were first
being trained, there was a hesitancy to allow them to enter into shops and restaurants along with their owners; however,
with further research it proved to dramatically increase quality of life. Now, the presence of service animals in public
places is widely accepted. Animals have become a valuable asset in therapy in a variety of situations including, but not
limited to, mental hospitals, trauma rehabilitation, and as a means of emotional comfort.
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BEHIND THE SCENES: MEET LOLA
Meet Lola! Lola is a nine-year-old shepherd mix, and our
esteemed canine guest for the Tucson run of John Steinbeck’s Of
Mice and Men. In the text of Steinbeck’s novella and on the stage,
Lola is a symbol: of love and connection in an isolating world, of
goodness, innocence, and of enduring commitment to those
souls who depend on us for survival and for so much more.
But this is just the surface. Beneath the literary layers, Lola’s
story is one for the ages. Lola was born and raised a barnyard
Lola, the newest ATC cast member.
dog, a farm companion for a family just outside Tucson. A sweet
and loving animal with a penchant for belly rubs, Lola was outside one still sunny day as some riders on horseback
appeared. Unknown to many – and certainly to Lola – are the canine casualties that emerge as a cost of border violence;
illegal traffickers have been known to shoot dogs who witness their passage, to preserve secrecy and avoid barking alerts
to their trespassing. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Lola was shocked into silence by a bullet wound to her upper
leg. Her family heard the shot, and Lola was rushed to an emergency veterinarian. They saved her leg, but a year of
recovery and rehabilitation in a kennel would follow.
Lola returned home to discover the sudden development of severe pet allergies within her family – the anaphylactic shock
kind, rather than the Claritin kind – and she was relegated to the open outdoors in an effort to keep the family both
together and breathing.
But Lola’s challenges would continue. Lola’s leg was further injured one dusk as she defended a puppy from a pack of
foraging javelinas. Nursed back to health but unable to save her injured leg a second time, Lola found herself in a new,
complicated situation as an older dog with newfound mobility challenges. Where now could she go?
Enter now the good people at The Animal League of Green Valley, who run an offsite adoption program that allows
animals like Lola to stay with their families as they seek new homes. In partnership with A Loyal Companion Canine Swim
and Recreation Center, who specialize in the rehabilitation of dogs with mobility issues, Lola has regained her health,
happiness – and her forever home, in the arms and on the comfy couch cushions of an ATC staff member!
Lola’s happy ending is the work of many caring organizations and individuals, whose commitment and passion continue to
resound with every gobbled milk bone, counter surf, and contented belly rub. Our immense thanks and gratitude go out to
those who’ve made such goodness possible, and made way for a little more love in the world. Cheers to Lola! With love,
from the ATC family.
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GAME RULES
Even though the years of the Great Depression were rough and laborious, people still needed ways to relax. Much of the
entertainment was homemade, and therefore cheap, so people could enjoy themselves when they could without spending
an entire day’s wages. Communities, such as neighborhoods or churches, allowed people to get together to chat, play
games (including cards), listen to and play music, and eat. Children could make their own toys, such as bows from tree
branches and roof-shingle arrows or wheel toys from hubcaps. Organized popular culture existed as well in rodeo, football,
radio, comic books and strips, newspaper stories, and books. Below are some short descriptions of games that were
popular during the Great Depression.
Poker
Poker has evolved over centuries from multiple games that
involve ranked cards and deceptive bluffing. Modern Poker likely
came from the French Poque of the 17th and 18th centuries that
was, in turn, developed from the Spanish Primero of 1526,
lovingly referred to as “poker’s mother.” The French brought their
game with them when they arrived in the New World – Canada
and North America – and it quickly spread throughout the United
A royal flush, the highest straight flush achievable in poker.
States. In the 1800s, “the cheating game” began to overtake
Three Card-Monte and earned its place in every saloon and on
and on the Civil War battlefield. The introduction of the joker in 1875 solidified the American game of poker, which has
developed into three major variants: Five Card Draw, Seven Card Stud, and Texas Hold’em.
In general, poker is played with a standard deck of cards. The highest ranking hand is a straight flush (five cards of the
same suit, in numerical order), four of a kind, full house, flush (five cards of the same suit), straight, three of a kind, two
pair, pair, and finally, a simple high card, which is also used to break ties. To bet, you must “ante” something in order to be
dealt a hand of cards. Once everyone is dealt in, all bets are placed in the pot in the middle, and the highest hand wins.
Players can call (bet enough to match what was bet last), raise (bet enough to match, then raise it higher), or fold (drop
their current hand and remove themselves from play).
A few differences among variants include Five Card Draw, which allows the ante or a blind, in which only the two players to
the left of the dealer pay before the cards are dealt. The person to the immediate left pays the small blind, and the person
to their left pays the big blind. The number itself varies based on the decided betting limit, but the big blind is twice the
size of the small blind and the lower limit. For example, in a game with a $5/$10 limit, the big blind is $5 and the small
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blind is $2.50. Players can also replace any number of cards in their hand before the second betting round. Seven-Card
Stud has the bring, the player with the lowest-value card, who is allowed to make a bet equal to the ante, or can bet
enough to reach the full amount of the small bet. At the end of betting in this version, players make the best hand out of
the seven cards they have accumulated. Alternatively, Texas Hold’em involves a rotating dealer as well as a river, which
provides community cards.
Horseshoes
Horseshoes has evolved from the game of quoits, which
involves the throwing of a ring over a distance to land over a
pin, which in turn evolved from Grecian discus throwing. In
1869, England established rules of the game, which had
earned popularity among soldiers. The first competitive
horseshoe pitching tournament was held in 1910 in Bronson,
Kansas. The first authorial body of horseshoe pitching was
also organized in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1914. The rules have
changed dramatically from the game’s inception to the
present, but farmers in 1937 would have played with 12-inch
The scoring phase in a game of horseshoes.
stakes set 40 feet apart.
Today, the game of horseshoes is divided into innings which consist of four pitched shoes, two per contestant. After the
shoes are pitched, they are known as live or dead (a foul). A ringer is a live shoe that comes to rest while surrounding the
stake; a point is earned when a thrown shoe rests within six inches of the stake; anything that rests more than six inches
from the stake is out of count and not worth any points. The shoes must be “delivered” by an underhanded throw within 30
seconds. There are two ways of scoring: cancellation, in which the ringers of one contestant cancel the ringers of the other,
or count-all, in which both contestants receive all points. Stakes are generally 14-15 inches in height, placed 40 feet apart,
and official games play to 40 points.
Euchre
A game of uncertain providence, euchre is a four player trick-taking game played with two partnerships and a deck of 24 or
32 cards that is believed to have been introduced by German settlers, although it may have been derived from a game
introduced by Cornish immigrants; it may be related to triomphe. Euchre was incredibly popular in the 19th century, when
it was considered a national game, but still maintains a following in the Midwest and in other countries. It was the first
game to introduce the joker card, which acts as a top trump.
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Each player is dealt five or seven cards in two rounds. The remaining cards are called the kitty; the top card is turned faceup and bidding begins. Players are asked if they would like the shown suit to be trump and can then pick it up or pass. If
the dealer gains this card, he discards a card into the kitty. When a suit is named trump, any card of that suit ranks higher
than other suits. The highest-ranking cards are the jack of the trump (called the right bower) and the other jack of the
same color (the left bower). When a player names a suit, they intend for their partnership to take the majority of tricks; if
they fail to win three tricks, they are “euchred” and are penalized by awarding two points to the opposing team. Players can
also “go alone” and try to win all five tricks without a partner, with the potential to win four points. The main rule is that
one must follow suit if possible, but it is not necessary to play the trump suit. However, if one plays a suit that is not a
follow when they are able to do so, it is considered cheating, as is table talk. Whoever played the highest suit card wins the
trick, as long as no trump is played. The first team to garner ten points wins. Betting can be introduced after the trump is
chosen, or also on a per trick, or per point basis. The losing team owes the difference in points – based on set monetary
value, which depends on the players – to the winners.
GLOSSARY
Bindle: a stick with a cloth tied at the end of it, typically used to carry items; often
stereotypically associated with American migrants.
Blow your stake: to lose or waste one’s savings.
Booby hatch: a psychiatric hospital.
Traveller with a bindle.
Bum steer: false information.
Bust: to beat up.
Bustin’ a gut: doing hard work.
Canned: fired.
Cat house: brothel.
A booby hatch or
psychiatric hospital.
Eatin’ raw eggs: a superstitious action believed to improve sexual performance.
Euchre: a card game consisting of four players in two partnerships who compete for tricks.
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Flat bust: a state of having no money; being penniless or broke.
Get along: to live or progress through life.
Got the eye: to flirt with or be attracted to other people.
Hoosegow, or prison.
Handy: strong or capable, as in fights.
Hoosegow: prison.
In the ring: reference to a boxing ring or a place of conflict.
Jack: money.
Jail bait: a woman who tempts a man into sexual acts that would result in his imprisonment.
A boxing ring, often
used as a metaphor for
Jerk-line skinner: the main driver of a team of mules.
Leave your big flapper shut: to be quiet, cease talking, or withdraw one’s opinion.
Live off the fat of the land: to rely on whatever can be grown by oneself for sustenance.
Looloo: a sexy woman.
Luger: a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol.
A louse, a parasite that
infests the scalp and
hair.
Pants rabbits: parasites, particularly those that might infest the genital region, such as body
lice.
Pillow pigeons: a slang reference to head lice, parasites that infest the scalp and hair of the
human head.
Ringer: a horseshoe thrown so that it completely encircles the stake.
Run (someone) out: to chase away, or to force someone to forcibly vacate an area or position.
A ringer in the game of
horseshoes.
Shovin’: travelling.
Slough: to fire.
Soledad: a city in Monterey County, California, United States.
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Stake: investment or interest.
Take the rap: to accept blame or consequences for a misdeed.
Tart: a promiscuous woman.
Throw a litter: to give birth.
The traditional symbol
to request a hitchhike,
with a single thumb
extended upward.
Thumb a ride: to hitchkike.
Took a powder: left quickly, typically to avoid something unpleasant.
Turnin’ a hand: working.
Tramp: a promiscuous woman.
Watchin’ the blackboard: searching for a job.
Weed: a mining town located in northern California.
Weed, a mining town
in northern California.
Yella: yellow; cowardly.
Yella jackets in his drawers: a reference to wasps in one’s underwear, indicating restlessness.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Discussion Questions
1. John Steinbeck tried to write realistic characters that spoke like people did in American culture, but many critics found
this to be offensive. Do you think a book should be banned because of controversial language spoken by characters?
2. How would you define the “American Dream”? Describe your American Dream and how you will attain it.
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3. If you could adapt any piece of literature into a stage play, what would it be and why? How would you alter the story in
order to make it work as a play? What challenges would you encounter in this process and how would you overcome them?
4. What are the specific themes you saw portrayed in Of Mice and Men? How did you see these themes represented on
stage? Do you think the relevant themes from this era translate to today? Do you relate to any of these specific themes in
your daily life?
5. The character of Lennie is learning disabled. Did you agree with how he was portrayed on stage? What techniques did
the actor use to represent Lennie in a realistic way? Did you identify with Lennie in any way?
6. Do you agree with George’s choice at the end of the play? What do you think motivated him? Do you think his action was
justified?
7. What was your favorite technical element of the show? How did the designers portray this on stage? Was their design
effective?
8. Why is the only female character in Of Mice and Men not given an name? What does it mean for the play that she is only
referred to as "Curley's wife"? What does it mean in today's society when a character is used symbolically? Can you think of
any other examples of this?
Activities
1. Adapt a book into a play. Break into small groups and chose a book to turn into a short play. Consider what the main
important elements that need to be represented from the book are. What parts do you edit out? How can you represent
location? Are there elements that need to be added to the stage play to clarify elements that don't translate from the book?
Choose what specific dialogue will be used and if additional dialogue needs to be added for the stage representation. Once
the play is completed perform it for the rest of the class.
2. Change the ending. How do you think Of Mice and Men would have ended if Lennie hadn't hurt Curley’s wife? How would
it have ended if George had let Lennie live? Have your students write a new ending from one of these perspectives.
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3. Some of John Steinbeck’s books were banned due to political and social turmoil during his lifetime. Conduct an internet
search on “banned books”. Choose one title to research and, in three to five paragraphs, explain why the book was banned,
its effect on society, and its impact today.
4. Imagine that you are a migrant worker during the Great Depression. Write a journal to chronicle one year of your life.
Describe some of the struggles and challenges you face, characters you meet and the types of jobs you have taken in order
to survive.
5. The characters in this story use colorful slang to express themselves. What slang terms have been created in your
lifetime? Create three new slang phrases and provide a description of each.
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