‘Mice’ roars

• By FRANK SCHECK
• Last Updated: 2:14 AM, December 6, 2012
• Posted: 10:07 PM, December 5, 2012

THEATER REVIEW

OF MICE AND MEN
Baruch Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington Ave.; 212-352-3101. Through Saturday. Running time: 135 minutes, one intermission.

   

Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Frances Conroy: They’re just a few of the actors who began their careers touring with the Acting Company. That long list of illustrious alumni may one day include Joseph Midyett and Christopher Michael McFarland, judging from their powerful performances in the troupe’s stirring revival of “Of Mice and Men.”

First seen on Broadway in 1937, John Steinbeck’s classic concerns migrant workers George (Midyett) and Lennie (McFarland), who’ve just shown up at a California ranch, desperate for jobs. George — small and fast-talking — has assumed the role of protector for the hulking, dimwitted Lennie, whose childlike love of petting soft things frequently gets him into trouble.

Richard Termine

Joseph Midyett (left) and Christopher Michael McFarland are brilliant.

They immediately find themselves at odds with the ranch owner’s hotheaded son, Curley (Michael McDonald), who’s clearly threatened by the constant male attention his wife (Megan Bartle) seems to crave. While George tries to stay clear of her, Lennie mainly dreams of the pair someday owning a farm where he can tend to his beloved rabbits. But his inability to control his massive strength has fateful consequences.

Director Ian Belknap’s stark production, performed on a mostly bare, wooden-planked set, brings the play’s elemental themes to stunning dramatic life. Beautifully realized are such moments as when an aging ranch hand (Joseph Tisa) reluctantly agrees to allow his mangy old dog to be shot, in a scene foreshadowing the play’s tragic conclusion.

McFarland is deeply affecting as the mentally damaged man-child, while Midyett superbly depicts both George’s deep love and his frustration at having to care for his friend.

“When I think of the sweet time I’d have without you, I go nuts,” he bitterly tells Lennie, but you can tell he doesn’t quite mean it.

The supporting ensemble fulfill their roles expertly, with particularly fine efforts by Tisa as the ranch-hand who dreams of throwing in with the pair and Yaegal T. Welch as the black stable-hand who chafes at being ostracized by his fellow workers.

This superb production runs only through Saturday before touring the country. If you can’t catch it now, look for its return run at the New Victory Theater March 1 to 10.

"BACKSTAGE" review of Mice and Men 2012

Off-Broadway Review

The Acting Company's 'Of Mice and Men' Packs a Punch

By David Sheward | Posted Dec. 4, 2012, 5:12 p.m.

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• John Steinbeck
• Of Mice and Men
• The Acting Company
• theater

Photo Source: Richard Termine

The figures of the hulking, dumb Lennie and his faithful, intelligent sidekick George in John Steinbeck’s classic “Of Mice and Men” have entered the public consciousness as parodies. People of a certain age are probably most aware of them as caricatures in Warner Bros. cartoons, with the much larger Lennie figure constantly asking his companion to “Tell me about the rabbits.” But Steinbeck’s 1937 play, based on his own novel, is a painfully honest study of human loneliness as Lennie and George seek to find a home amid the cruel landscape of Depression-era California. The Acting Company’s touring production, now at the Baruch Performing Arts Center for a brief stay, obliterates the clichés and concentrates on the desperate longing for connection among its drifting set of characters. Here, Lennie is not a comical, lumbering oaf but a tragic victim of his gigantic strength and limited brain power.

Lennie and George make a meager living as ranch hands, moving from place to place and dreaming of earning enough to buy a farm of their own, where Lennie can tend his beloved rabbits. But their illusion of stability comes crashing down when Lennie’s attraction for soft objects and small animals results in serious trouble.

Christopher Michael McFarland captures Lennie’s gentle tenderness and unthinking power. Like a monstrous child, McFarland wrings his hands and blubbers when Lennie is caught with a dead mouse or puppy; you can see the child’s anxious need to please in his large eyes. Likewise, Joseph Midyett perfectly conveys George’s cocky bravado and sentimental interior. The pause he takes as George realizes that his ideal little farm will never materialize is heart-stopping.

Director Ian Belknap wisely remembers that this is an ensemble piece and not just a vehicle for the two leads. Staging the play with subtlety and simplicity, he balances Lennie and George’s goals with those of the rest of the characters. All of the pathetic creatures inhabiting the ranch are seeking a bond with another person, and the strong cast passionately pursues that objective. Even the trampy wife of Curley, the ranch boss’ obnoxious son, is fully dimensional, with her own needs, and Megan Bartle is delightfully sleazy and movingly sympathetic in the role. Joseph Tisa and Yaegel T. Welch give depth to Candy and Crooks, two outsiders yearning to find a place to belong. There’s also admirable work from Michael McDonald, Noah Putterman, Chris Thorn, and, in two disparate roles, Ray Chapman.

Neil Patel’s stark set, Daniel B. Chapman’s prairie-pure lighting, and Fitz Patton’s Aaron Copeland–influenced music create the right rustic atmosphere for this memorable “Of Mice and Men.”

stopped by the cops in Utah...guess i didn't fit in

 

 

BUT HEY MAKE PEACE AND LOVE RIGHT. SO AFTER THEY RAN MY ID AND ASKED ME ALL THE RIGHT QUESTIONS I ASKED FOR A PICTURE. THEY SAID SURE...MAKING FRIENDS ERWHERE I GO

iPhone 5- fun video

WSU Performing Arts- An Amazing Performance: Of Mice and Men

An Amazing Performance: Of Mice and Men

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Stacey Chong

After getting off to a rough start when both of the Acting Company’s touring buses broke down on their way to Pullman, the Acting Company turned in a moving performance of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men to a sold out Jones Theatre on Friday night.

The acting was phenomenal. Director Ian Belknap did an amazing job with the actors and John Steinbeck’s script. From the moment they stepped onto the Jones Theatre stage, the actors were in the moment, stepping with purpose even when simply setting up a scene.

Joseph Midyett as the likeable and protective George accompanied by Christopher Michael McFarland as the strong yet childlike Lennie gave stunning performances as the two brotherly companions. You could feel how much they yearned for a place of their own and see the strong sense of hope and relief at the idea that their hard work could be ended soon with the help of Candy, played by Joseph Tisa.

Lennie (left) played by Christopher Michael McFarland and George (right) played by Joseph Midyett. Photo from the Acting Company website.

The first act left the audience with such hope for George, Lennie and Candy but with a nagging fear and foreshadowing that it wouldn’t come soon enough. And it doesn’t. Unfortunately, no matter how much you want them to succeed, the ending never changes.

This play reminds us that people are just seeking companionship, in both human and animal form. Most just want someone to talk to. We see in this play that when you have a special bond with someone you can also open yourself up to hurt and loss.

It’s amazing that a story so bleak can be so lighthearted at times. Maybe that’s what makes it so tragic.

But let’s not forget the technical side of the performance. The stage they constructed on set was amazing! It opened and folded into different scenes and created different atmospheres. I overheard a fellow audience member describing it as “a real clever floor.”

Even more incredible is the fact that they have a very little amount of time from when they arrive at the theatre to become familiar with the stage and the acoustics of the theatre. Additionally, they have a very intimate cast and crew who are understudies for each other.

Afterward, the actors used what little time they had to sit down for a Q&A with the audience before getting back on the bus for their next performance. Questions ranged from the more humorous “Was George and Lennie the first bromance?” to which actor Joseph Midyett made a classic reply highlighting Romeo and Mercutio as the original bromance to the more serious questions of motivations behind the characters and how the actors handled taking the characters on.

After the show the actors answered questions from the audience.

When asked why George would choose to stay with Lennie despite his frustrations, Midyett gave a very honest reply:

“There are people in your lives that are just so damn trouble that you don’t know why you love them but they’re yours.”

That’s something that I think most, if not all, of us can relate to.

We’d like to thank the Acting Company cast and crew for their wonderful performance of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.

Posted in Performances | Tagged acting, acting company, bromance, dad's weekend, daggy hall, john steinbeck, jones theatre, Of Mice and Men, play | Leave a reply

ANYTHING CAN BE DECEIVING- PULLMAN, WA

    Cute, intimate theater                                            Kinda scary backstage

                                

                                        THEN THIS HAPPENED

                    

bus surprise part 4- circle the wagons baby CAUSE THAT'S HOW THE ACTING COMPANY PLAYS-

OKAY WE LUCK THE HECK OUT- just a bust radiator hose, AND We just happen to be quarter mile from a the only bus garage within 30 miles, AND they happen to have the right hose, AND the right mechanic happen to be there that day, AND with no other car in line.

Bus surprise part 3- AHHHH the bus is leaving

"okay, wait here till the bus gets fixed"
"um, when are you coming back"
"................."

bus surprise- Prius for 12 actors...you do the math

ummmm, that peeping in the background is the ENGINE!!!!!!!

bus surprise part 1

Okay lets see what happens.....

The saddest halloween party ever

Soooo yeah this happened Halloween 

soooo time to bust it out "white boy" style

 

Kudos to Joe Tisa for being my wing/camera man:)

video from the road NOV 8 2012

I really dig the way this part of the country looked. Reminds me how the earth makes men hard, like George

My close brother/friend sent this to me-

Thought of you:

I have always lived violently, drunk hugely, eaten too much or not at all, slept around the clock or missed two nights of sleeping, worked too hard and too long in glory, or slobbed for a time in utter laziness. I've lifted, pulled, chopped, climbed, made love with joy and taken my hangovers as a consequence, not as a punishment. - John Steinbeck

BWW Reviews: The Acting Company's OF MICE AND MEN Stays True to Steinbeck
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Sunday, October 21, 2012; 05:10 PM - by Anya Sebastian

The Acting Company launched its national tour at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, on October 17, with a solid production ofJohn Steinbeck’s OF MICE AND MEN. This grim tale, which follows the fortunes of two, itinerant, California farm workers during the Great Depression, is a timely reminder of issues still painfully relevant in American society today. It's also familiar to just about everyone educated in this country. The stage version, also written by Steinbeck, premiered on Broadway in 1937 and has been played countless times since then. It has also been adapted for both film and television.

The challenge, therefore, is to build and maintain suspense, even though everyone in the audience knows what’s coming. Ian Belknap, the director, wisely, avoided the temptation of trying to distinguish this production in some way and presented a simple, bare bones interpretation of this American classic. Using minimal props and sets (The Acting Company tours with its own scenery, costumes etc.) and aided by skillful lighting, the cast of nine men and one woman offered an engaging and faithful rendition of this devastating story.

As you no doubt recall, George Milton and Lennie Small, who have traveled together for years, are an unlikely pair. Lennie (played by Christopher Michael McFarland) is big and strong, but, being mentally impaired, does not understand his own strength, or even the world - a small child in a powerful man’s body. George (Joseph Midyett) is shrewd and motivated and, at the same time, fiercely devoted to his long-time friend.

Christopher Michael McFarland deserves special kudos for his excellent portrayal of the man-child, Lennie, creating a character that is both sympathetic and convincing. His child-like innocence makes Lennie quite unaware of the impact he has on others, both human and animal, let alone the consequences. It’s this innocence that makes George’s heart-rending decision – and final act – so harrowing.

George dreams of saving up enough money to buy their own ranch and ‘live off the fat of the land.’ His fanciful descriptions of their future life together, keep Lennie inspired with visions of independence. Joseph Midyett’s portrayal of George is energetic and well rounded, giving full reign to his frustrations and, at times, impatience with his mentally challenged friend, as well as demonstrating intense loyalty and profound love.

Their dream edges closer to reality when they meet Candy, an old farmhand at their current workplace, who lost his hand in an accident and has some money set aside. The three decide to pool their earnings and fantasize about getting a place soon, maybe even in the next few months.

But trouble emerges in the form of Curley’s Wife, the boss’s new daughter-in-law, who has traded her imagined career in films for marriage to the obnoxious Curly. She is always to be found, provocatively dressed, hanging out with the guys. Megan Bartle, as Curley’s Wife, is at once flirtatious and naïve, irritating and sympathetic. Her dreams, like all the others in this dark drama, are never fulfilled.

The Acting Company is a collection of highly talented, young actors, who specialize in taking professional theater to people and places around the country, with limited access to theatrical productions. Their performance of, ‘OF MICE AND MEN’ is an excellent introduction and faithful interpretation, of John Steinbeck’s work.

The company heads to California (Palm Desert) on October 23rd. A detailed list of their appearances can be found at www.theactingcompany.org.

Photo Credit: Richard Termine


Read more: http://albuquerque.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Reviews-The-Acting-Companys-OF-MICE-AND-MEN-Stays-True-to-Steinbeck-20121021-page2#ixzz2Aks2SfwX

Acclaimed Acting Company presents Steinbeck classic at WSU

Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012

Christopher Michael McFarland and Joseph Midyett in The Acting Company’s 'Of Mice
and Men.' (Photo by Richard Termine)

PULLMAN, Wash. – One of the most widely read stories in America, John Steinbeck’s "Of Mice and Men,” will be performed by The Acting Company at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, in Jones Theatre, Daggy Hall, Washington State University as part of the WSU Performing Arts (WSUPA) 2012-2013 Main Stage theatrical series.

Written as both a novella and play script, "Of Mice and Men” tells the tragic story of two California migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression. George and Lennie dream of making enough money to buy a place of their own. Lennie is a little boy in the body of a man. George is ever cautious of his insecure, gentle giant of a friend, who is unaware of his own dangerous strength.

"This production looks, sounds and smells like the worker of the 1930s,” said Ian Belknap, the play’s director and associate artistic director of The Acting Company. "However, this play could be set yesterday, today or tomorrow.

"The context of our world has changed but our daily life values remain the same,” said Belknap. "‘Of Mice and Men’ fascinates audiences as it shows us ourselves and speaks to our shared human condition – to want, to love, to fear and to die.”

Founded by John Houseman and Margot Harley in 1972, The Acting Company has been hailed by the New York Times as "the major touring classical theater company in the United States.” It has brought 138 productions to 49 states and 10 foreign countries across 39 seasons and earned awards including Obies, Audelcos, Los Angeles Critics Circle Awards and a 2003 Tony Award for Excellence in Theater.

Admission to "Of Mice and Men” costs $20 adults; $16 seniors; $12 students and youth; and $10 WSU student with valid ID.

Tickets may be purchased through Ticketswest - online at http://www.ticketswest.com; by phone at 800-325-7328; or in person at all outlets including the Beasley Coliseum box office 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.-Fri. - or at the Daggy Hall ticket office beginning two hours before the performance. Additional fees apply to online and phone purchases.

The cast includes actors from some of the finest acting conservatories in the U.S. They were cast in New York and through Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater Experience and its training program with the University of Minnesota.

The cast follows in the footsteps of Kevin Kline, Rainn Wilson, Patti LuPone, Jesse L. Martin, Frances Conroy, Hamish Linklater, Harriet Harris, David Ogden Stiers, Jeffrey Wright and Keith David - who all began their careers on tour with The Acting Company.

WSUPA’s 2012-2013 season features more than a dozen performances including theater, dance, musical theatre, bluegrass, jazz, classical and comedy. Find more information at http://performingarts.wsu.edu.

Opening Night Ya'll

Getting ready for dromio

So we change venue from one day to the next. This is me working out movement and my voice before we opened house.

Beauty and the Beast...or just the Beast

A fun Valentine gift for the girl of my dreams

Mission Accomplished

Best performance of the Comedy of Errors yet.

 I'm tired and have an early morning so I'm cutting straight to the point.

Anytime I got scared, I was in my head going through a checklist of things I should do before I step on stage: warm-up this or that, check this, make sure to say this that way or that. Whenever, I started running in the wheel like a hamster, I would remind myself of my last post. And, it brought me back to the "now", "present", "moment".

what is improtant

So, Im in a bit of a bored state tonight. In Whitewater, Wisconsin, and understanding why people are always trying to run from the Midwest. Not to be mean, it's just what I've heard from the mouths of people who have lived here and Im kinda getting what they are saying.

So, I'm bored...in a week of being on tour I'm over drinking, board gaming, video gaming, movies, feeling a bit of a disconnect with the "girlfriend"(part of being an actor), don't really want to talking to anyone, don't feel like networking, don't feel like shooting the breeze.

Moreover, the things I want to do are self destructive i.e. fight, fuck, eat till Im sick, you get the idea. Judge tenderly.

So, Im sitting here and thinking well what the hell is really important...you know a bit of a Hamlet moment.

Okay, lets see. "I want to have sex...can't because of a promise...what to fight....can't because I'll get arrested, hurt, and who know maybe the guy I pick a fight with turns out to be someone really cool and then I'll feel horrible on top of it all."  Then it comes to me like a warm summer breeze. If I was in a play I could....I could... be anything and do anything ...yeah like in Comedy of Errors...yeah now that's fun...climbing in and hiding in a chest of drawers...spinning around on stage with Bjorn" Then it comes to me-"...shit if I like it so much then why am I scared shitless when I act sometimes. More so, why in the hell would I rush anything I do or say onstage.... ever.

Breakthrough.

(Talking to myself)," Shit that's what they mean when people say I can be or do anything onstage." No duh you the reader are thinking but, "man to say and believe it is one thing...but to live that onstage unabashed, to really let yourself get lost....wow that's intense."

Can I be real withyouall the readers. Us actors, until we hit a certain level, are f@8cking broke, our lovers and family are far away, always dealing with unemployment. The list goes on. So then, why on earth would I ever...EVER not be as fully express onstage, and take as much time as I want or need and just reveal in it.

 Here is what I mean. In rehearsal if you're acting across from another person and you feel the impulse to kiss. Well, shit you better. And make it the best kiss ever. Or say, you're in the middle of running a scene and all of a sudden you want to scream and throw yourself on the floor... you better do it. If your bored in the scene and don't buy it, say it and don't be.

In performance, if you're talking to the audience then, damn it, do it as naked as possible, I mean stop acting and dare to really talk to someone. When performing in anything the goal is to get lost. Lose yourself in the moment, you own it for that fucking brief moment in time. Don't be scared, if you believe it, love it, and get lost in it, we will think you're a god for it.

CAUSE THAT IS IT. THAT ALL YOU GET... EVER. IT'S THE ONLY TIME YOU LIFE LETS YOU GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING.!!!!!!!!!

NEXT ...PERFORMANCE IT'S ON.

dance party before show of Julius Caesar

Enjoy

An important re-post

Top Five Regrets Of The Dying
12-10-11

 

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.   People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learned never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.   When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:   1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.   This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.   It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.   2. I wish I didn't work so hard.   This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.   By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.   3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.   Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.   We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.   4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.   Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.   It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.   5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.   This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.   When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.   Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

the flower between

      I once worked with an actor named Paul. During a conversation he told me how great of an actress his wife is. He went on further to say that she was slow at the start, but then "bam" the performance would just spring forth.
     
     We then went into the rehearsal hall and continued with our day and that was the end of it. However, the conversation stuck with me. Her way of working being so different then mine. I come in with many choices already made, and hit the ground running. Yes, if my scene partner is also willing to hit the ground with me and "play",  I put my choices aside and  explore with them. But if they haven't done their homework and are trying to use this time to find the role and learn lines...step aside.
     
       Although, in Dracula and Julius Caesar  I play(ed) supporting characters.  So I was forced to slow done, letting the leads call the shots. Well, surprising "bam's" happen this week as they did in Dracula. As we were taking another pass at certain scenes my character's began blossoming before me.  I hit the grey area, the Jazz, the ape in the cage, I stopped acting. I was a real deep person, that felt and thought, as much as the "leads", but for whatever reason I didn't have as much to say.
     
      At first I was delighted because I wasn't going to look like a supporting cardboard character, then alarmed- how did it happen, now more curious then anything.
     
     I think the work is just as good as the other way of working. I enjoyed myself more during this process, being there was way less stress. I was okay not having the answers in front of my cast mates. I got to ask the director to look and give me input, and actually listened.
     
     BUT....What now? Would I go into Hamlet likes this? No way: I don't trust it, there isn't enough time, the list goes on. But are these answers legit, or am I just scared?  Yes, this felt more like a collaboration, but I'm not in the hot seat. Or, am I.

     I got to the same place, but used a different road. All roads lead to Rome, or do they. I'm a year older, and although I've a few more bruises then last, I'm smarter for them. Take the sensible approach, look at all the factors, and most importantly don't throw the baby out with the bath water. I can't control this, that much I've learned. So, do the work, believe in myself and my talent, be okay waiting for inspiration to come, and...enjoy life and not stress out... by..... trusting.

I think my mom, edgaro, jacqueline, gisela, penny, steve, and cyn, would smile with agreeance  .

p.s.
Happy New Year!