Life In Arts Productions presents

OF MICE AND MEN
BY JOHN STEINBECK

PRODUCED BY
BENJAMIN DANIEL PHILIP
TRAVIS SCHLEGEL
KELLI LACEY
AKITORA ISHII
MEGAN MURPHY RUCKMAN

SHOW DATES: April 7^th – April 22^nd, 2023
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays @ 7:30pm | Sunday Matinees @ 2:30pm
VENUE: 21TEN Theatre, 2110 SE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
TICKETS: $15; $10 students & seniors | Advance: https://squareup.com/store/life-in-arts-productions

CAST:
Benjamin Daniel Philip as George
Travis Schlegel as Lennie
Ron K. Palmblad as Candy
Akitora Ishii as Slim
Chloë Duckart as Curley
Bobbi Kaye Kupfner as Curley’s Wife
Jelani Kee as Crooks
Brandon Michael as Carlson
Steve Radley as Whit
Chuck Weed as The Boss

PRODUCTION STAFF:
Artistic Director: Benjamin Daniel Philip
Production Manager: Kelli Lacey
Production Assistant: Travis Schlegel
Ensemble Lead: Akitora Ishii
Stage Manager: Isabella Steele
Advising Producer: Megan Murphy Ruckman

Life In Arts Productions is proud to announce that we are returning to the stage with a brand new production. After a long hiatus, the company will present Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, opening on April 7^th, 2023 at 21TEN Theatre in Portland, Oregon. A modern American classic of page, stage, and screen,  Of Mice and Men offers a meaningful examination of friendship, of the ways people are labeled and discarded because of physical or intellectual differences, of the search for a little place called home, a dream which remains now — as it did when this story was first written — out of reach for those who struggle in this society.

SHOW DATES:
Friday, April 7th @ 7:30pm
Saturday, April 8th @ 7:30pm
Sunday, April 9th @ 2:30pm

Thursday, April 13th @ 7:30pm
Friday, April 14th @ 7:30pm
Saturday, April 15th @ 7:30pm
Sunday, April 16th @ 2:30pm

Thursday, April 20th @ 7:30pm
Friday, April 21st @ 7:30pm
Saturday, April 22nd @ 7:30pm

Of Mice and Men is presented by special arrangement
with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service.

ABOUT THE SHOW: Before John Steinbeck penned The Grapes of Wrath, the 1939 epic detailing Okies and others who had been swept out West when the Dust Bowl met the Great Depression, he had drawn from his own experiences as a transient California laborer in Of Mice and Men. Originally written as a short novel with the structure of a play, Of Mice and Men was first published in 1937 and later appeared on Broadway in November of the same year. The play, which predates the Tony Awards and the Drama Desk Awards, earned the 1938 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Best Play. The play was revived on Broadway in 1974 and 2014, and film adaptations were made in 1939 and 1992.

The tale follows two field workers — the quiet, but wise George and his simple-minded friend Lennie — as they move from farm to farm looking for work. The pair have ambitions to own a farm of their own one day, but Lennie’s excessive strength and mental handicap create frequent problems for both of them, resulting in the duo losing one job after another and exhausting their savings.

Of Mice and Men was controversial at the time for its use of profanity and vivid depictions of the human suffering surrounding prejudice, mental disabilities, domestic violence and poverty. It was the issue of euthanasia, however, that resulted in the book being banned from public schools and libraries, presumably due to the emotional state of much of American society at the time. But the story of Lennie and George, offering bright hues of friendship, compassion and survival that shine through the overall darkness, helped carry the novel over the censors and into the kind of literary significance that today encourages many public schoolchildren around the world to read about them.

The show deals with hopes and dreams, loneliness, isolation, elation, and rage. All of those components, throughout history, have been relevant in describing the human condition. People who see this show will see the truth in the writing; they are going to be drawn in by the way the characters are portrayed on the stage, and by the characters themselves, by Steinbeck’s very in-depth, very fleshed-out portrayals.

John Steinbeck said it best: “Try to understand men; if you understand each other, you will be kind to each other.” This story rings true today on the importance of acceptance and understanding. Life In Arts chose this piece in hopes of not only educating audiences but inspiring tolerance and compassion.

Life In Arts Productions was originally formed in 2016, and its founding members Jayne Furlong and Benjamin Philip are both life-long students of the arts who have been deeply involved with many community theatres throughout the Portland area. One of the many goals for Life In Arts is to create an environment in which an ensemble of actors and artists develop different works in a variety of mediums, using the ideals of community, collaboration, and commitment in order to give power to the voice of the artist, supporting their vision from conception to production. Their inaugural production The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh opened in early 2017 to rave reviews and sold-out houses.

The inspiration behind the decision to move forward with a production of Of Mice and Men came out of several conversations, starting with Life In Arts founder Benjamin Philip and local actor Travis Schlegel. The two became aquanited with each other over the course of two different auditions for two different plays. Benjamin nabbed a role in the first production, Travis nabbed a role in the second production, but a friendship began to blossom. Even though they had never worked together on stge, they began a conversation… a conversation that lasted throughout the pandemic, a conversation which eventually lead to the discovery that both performers had a mutual love for this play.

“Of Mice and Men was the first real scene study I did in high school and it was the first time I realized that this crazy artistic outlet was something more than just trying to remember your lines and where you’re suppose to stand while you’re on stage,” Philip recalls. “It has stayed with me over the years, waiting for the right time, waiting for the right moment… where I would meet the Lennie to my George.”

Soon the conversation expanded to include Advising Producer Megan Murphy Ruckman, Production Manager Kelli Lacey, and local actor Akitora Ishii. Once a Production Team was in place, this dream project soon turned into a reality, and from there the community behind Life In Arts Productions was revived in order to move forward — digging into four months of pre-production, holding multiple conversations about theme and tone, and assembling an amazing team of artists and performers who would then fill all the necessary positions, the creative building blocks needed to bring this show to the stage with a minimal budget and a lot of hard work. This production puts the resources of Life In Arts into the vision of local artists on a project aligned with Life Art’s mission, offering a deeper collaboration and more diverse community involvement for the company, the artist, and the communities they serve.

ABOUT THE COMPANY: Life In Arts Productions was founded by Jayne Furlong and Benjamin Philip. Seeing the need for more experimental storytelling and challenging material within the community theatre scene of Portland, as well as working to create a dialogue about the increasingly difficult realities of the world we face in the year 2023, the team decided to create a company that would endeavor to find socially and politically relevant material, and explore them with like-minded students of the theatre. Life In Arts Productions is committed to discovering and exploring stories and opportunities for these communities.

MISSION STATEMENT: Life In Arts Productions is committed to producing quality work that brings performing arts and education to our communities.