Word: steinbecker
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...JOHN STEINBECK probably would have cared if he had witnessed Of Mice and Men currently showing at the Loeb Drama Center. Though the play mildly captures a sense of feeling. I never felt I was watching the art of Steinbeck. Edward Zwick, Director, has attempted to day so true to Steinbeck's mere "story" concept that he succeeds in presenting a disconnected production which floats above the surface of any lasting import. Whether or not there is meaning to Of Mice and Men, Zwick fails to move his actors towards the limitless emotion of Steinbeck's characters. Consequently, the Loeb...
...pure and simple theatrical description of two wandering personalities of the Depression is indeed difficult to accomplish. (The program lists the time of the play as the present. This is not only counter to the dialogue to the dialogue but it neglects the historical perspective of Steinbeck.) Yet Joseph Ruggiero's production makes a valiant attempt at depicting Steinbeck's mastery of human suffering. Four actors in particular almost capture the sense of feeling in Steinbeck. Robert Jacobson, as Lennie, plods through Act I with a disappointing facade of imitation. When the curtain rises in Act II, Jacobson comes alive...
...late. Of Mice and Men may have a couple of high points and a dramatic ending to aim for, but Act I and other lesser scenes must display more enthusiasm. The actors' sensitivity or meanness should never falter. The opening dialogue between Lennie and George does not exhibit Steinbeck's intensity (although George's shouting does spark things...
...Mice and Men is an extremely delicate play to direct and I would not totally blame Zwick for the lack of intensity displayed. Rather, I would question Steinbeck and the Loeb for thrusting onto the audience a story so intensely sensitive that almost any production could only fall short of displaying the characters Lennie and George. Perhaps Steinbeck, explained this dilemma best when he wrote of the story as "an experiment in making a play that can be read or a novel that can be played..." The play's emotion comes across in its reading, not its stage performance...
...pathos in Of Mice and Men evades the Loeb and left me yearning for the written word, play or novel. I would not discouraged anyone from seeing it. I would only recommend that the novel be read beforehand to catch the beauty of Steinbeck. For the play complements yet never becomes the drama intervening between mice...