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Synopsis<br />
Of Mice and Men<br />
first performance: Seattle, Washington, January 22, 1970<br />
place: A ranch in California x t i m e: 1930’s x language: English<br />
Act One<br />
Scene 1: A clearing in the woods.<br />
Two migrant ranch workers: George and<br />
Lennie, are running from the police. Lennie,<br />
who has the strength and physique of a<br />
giant and a child’s mind, cannot stay out of<br />
trouble. George laments about how much<br />
better his life would be without Lennie, but<br />
he doesn’t really mean it, any more than<br />
Lennie means his offer to leave.<br />
Lennie has a mouse with him which he has<br />
killed by petting it. After throwing the dead<br />
mouse away, George cheers up Lennie by<br />
reciting their long-standing dream: to get<br />
a farm of their own.<br />
Scene 2: The bunkhouse.<br />
Curley, the ranch boss, is complaining to<br />
Candy, an old ranch hand, about George<br />
and Lennie’s late arrival. Curley’s wife comes<br />
in to plead for attention. Curley orders her<br />
out and forbids her to return.<br />
George and Lennie arrive as the ranch hands<br />
return from the fields. Slim offers his dog’s<br />
new litter of puppies to the men. Lennie<br />
asks George if he can have one.<br />
Curley’s wife arrives again. She discovers<br />
Lennie, but she leaves before anyone does<br />
anything they regret. After she leaves, the<br />
hands make coarse jokes at her and Curley’s<br />
expense.<br />
Carlson complains about how Candy’s old<br />
dog stinks up the bunkhouse. Slim suggests<br />
that they shoot Candy’s dog and replace it<br />
with one of Slim’s puppies. Candy resists,<br />
but ultimately concedes. Carlson takes the<br />
dog outside. For a long moment tension<br />
rises in the bunkhouse as everyone waits for<br />
the shot. Finally, the shot rings out. Night<br />
falls as the hands sing of their longing for<br />
a home.<br />
Act Two<br />
The bunkhouse.<br />
As the hands play horseshoes, George is<br />
looking in the newspaper for farms for sale.<br />
Suddenly, he spots an ad and calls Lennie in.<br />
Lennie arrives, cradling his new puppy.<br />
Candy offers to go in with them. After some<br />
figuring, George sees it will work. George,<br />
Lennie, and Candy celebrate.<br />
Curley’s wife arrives. As George tries to<br />
throw her out, Curley walks in. Curley tries<br />
to pick a fight with George, but then Lennie<br />
giggles, and Curley’s rage turns to Lennie.<br />
Lennie grasps Curley’s fist in his big hand<br />
and crushes it. Slim blackmails Curley into<br />
not firing Lennie and George by threatening<br />
to reveal how Curley hurt his hand.<br />
Candy asks George to read about their farm<br />
again. The scene ends with Candy, George,<br />
and Lennie imagining the farm.<br />
Act Three<br />
Scene 1: The barn.<br />
Lennie is in the barn mourning his now-dead<br />
puppy. Curley’s wife enters, looking to<br />
escape from Curley. Each sings of their<br />
dream: Lennie of a farm with animals he can<br />
pet, and Curley’s wife of the stardom that<br />
awaits her in Hollywood.<br />
Curley’s wife tempts Lennie to stroke her<br />
soft hair. When Lennie won’t stop, she<br />
screams. Lennie panics and accidentally kills<br />
her. Aware that he has done something<br />
wrong, he flees.<br />
Candy comes in and discovers the body.<br />
He calls in George and Slim who both<br />
realize immediately what has happened.<br />
Slim convinces George to take a pistol and<br />
shoot Lennie, rather than let Curley and<br />
Carlson lynch him. George sets off<br />
after Lennie.<br />
Continued on page 29<br />
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