BRAVO BORO
AUDITION NOTICE
OF MICE AND MEN
Directed by: Cyndie Verbeten
Produced by: Danielle Storvik
Bravo Boro will hold auditions for Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck on Sunday, September 15th from 6:30pm – 8:30pm and Monday September 16th 6:30pm – 9:00pm at Sloan’s Motorcycle & ATV: 2233 NW Broad St Murfreesboro TN 37129
Callbacks are by invitation only and will be Tuesday, September 17th from 6:30 – 8:00pm.
Auditions will comprise of selected readings from the script. Sides are available in advance.
Please email cynthia.verbeten@gmail.com to request a copy.
All roles are open
Performance Dates: November 8th, 9th, 10th, 15th, 16th, and 17th
Tech Week Rehearsals are mandatory and will be November 3rd, through November 7th.
Rehearsals begin September 19th and will be scheduled on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays,
from 6:30pm until 9:00pm. Wednesday rehearsals will be added mid-October.
SUMMARY
Written in 1937 by John Steinbeck, the book follows the experiences of two displaced migrant ranch
workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, as they move from place to place in California during the
Great Depression. The story explores their friendship and struggle to attain the American dream.
Of Mice and Men is one of the most challenged books of the 21st century due to its depiction of violence
and use of profane, racist language. This work is a commentary on the social and economic effects of the
Great Depression with recurring themes, including the dissolution of the American dream, isolation and
loneliness, injustice, and the cruelty of man.
It is an allusion to Scottish poet Robert Burns’ 1785 poem “To a Mouse”, in which a farmer unwittingly
and regrettably kills a mouse while plowing.
An excerpt:
“But Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes of mice and men Go oft awry, And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!”
CAST OF CHARACTERS
GEORGE MILTON
A small, wiry, quick-witted man who travels with, and cares for Lennie. Although he frequently speaks of
how much better his life would be without his caretaking responsibilities, George is devoted to Lennie.
His character behavior is motivated by the desire to protect Lennie and, eventually, deliver them both to
the farm of their dreams. Though George is the source of the often-told story of life on their future farm,
it is Lennie’s childlike faith that enables George to actually believe his account of their future.
LENNIE SMALL
A large, lumbering migrant worker. Due to his intellectual disability, Lennie completely depends on
George, his friend and travelling companion, for guidance and protection. The two men share a vision of
a farm that they will own together. Gentle and kind, Lennie nevertheless does not understand his own
strength which leads to disaster.
SLIM
A highly skilled mule driver and the acknowledged “prince” of the ranch. Slim is the only character who
seems to be at peace with himself. The other characters of look to Slim for advice. A quiet, insightful
man, Slim alone understands the nature of the bond between George and Lennie and comforts George
at the story’s tragic ending.
CANDY
An aging ranch handyman. Candy lost his hand in an accident and worries about his future on the ranch.
Fearing that his age is making him useless, he seizes on George’s description of the farm he and Lennie
will have, offering his life’s savings if he can join George and Lennie in owning the land.
CROOKS
The Black stable-hand. He gets his name from his crooked back. Proud, bitter, and caustically funny, he
is isolated from the other men because of the color of his skin. Despite himself, Crooks becomes fond of
Lennie, and though he derisively claims to have seen countless men following empty dreams of buying
their own land, he asks Lennie if he can go with them and hoe in the garden.
CARLSON
A ranch-hand. Carlson is an aggressive man who owns a Luger pistol which he uses to kill Candy’s old
dog. He is rather dimwitted, lacks empathy and acts as a flunkey to Curley. After years of working on the
ranch, he has become mean and self-centered
CURLEY
The boss’s son, Curley wears high-heeled boots to distinguish himself from the field hands. Rumored to
be a champion prizefighter, he is a confrontational, mean-spirited, and aggressive young man who seeks
to compensate for his small stature by picking fights with larger men. Recently married, Curley is
plagued with jealous suspicions and is extremely possessive of his young wife.
WHITT
A ranch-hand who enjoys a good time and regularly spends all his money at the whorehouse in town.
Aggressive, nosy, and always looking to be where the action is, Whit seems to seek out and enjoy any
drama or tension on the ranch.
CURLEY’S WIFE
She is never given a name and is only mentioned in reference to her husband. The men on the farm
refer to her as a “tramp” a “tart” and a “looloo.” Dressed in fancy, feathered red shoes, she represents
the temptation of female sexuality in a male-dominated world. Steinbeck depicts her not as a villain,
but rather as a victim. She is desperately lonely and has broken dreams of a better life.
THE BOSS
The stocky, well-dressed man in charge of the ranch, and Curley’s father. He is never named but seems
to be a fair-minded man.