Of Mice and Men
Carlisle Floyd
Cast
Lennie Small: Curtis Rayam
George Milton: Lawrence Cooper
Curley: John Winfield
Candy: Sean Mitten
Curley's Wife: Christine Isley
Slim: Padraig O'Rourke
Carlson: Brendan Cavanagh
Ballad Singer: Paul Arden-Griffith
Crew
| Conductor | John DeMain |
| Director | Stewart Trotter |
| Set Design | John Cervenka/Tim Reed |
| Costume Design | John Cervenka/Tim Reed |
| Lighting Design | Graham Large |
| Music Preparation | Kathleen Scott |
| Chorus Master | Kim Mooney |
The Plot
Act 1
The opera opens with George Milton and Lennie Small, two migrant farm workers, on their way to a new job at a ranch in California during the Great Depression. Lennie is mentally disabled but has great physical strength, while George is his protector and caretaker. They dream of owning their own farm and living off the land. They arrive at the ranch and meet the other workers, including Candy, an old swamper, and Curley, the boss's aggressive son. Curley's wife also makes an appearance, flirting with the men and causing tension.
Act 2
The workers gather in the bunkhouse, where Curley's wife tries to engage with them despite their reluctance. Lennie becomes fixated on her and accidentally kills her when she becomes frightened by his strength. The men form a lynch mob to hunt down Lennie, who has fled to a nearby riverbank. George finds Lennie before the mob does and decides to mercy-kill him to spare him from a painful death at the hands of the mob. As Lennie dies, George tells him about their dream farm one last time.