Of Mice and Men
One of Steinbeck’s most acclaimed works, this American classic chronicles four days in the
lives of migrant workers, George and Lennie. Unlikely friends, they move from town to
town hoping to work and save enough to own their own piece of land. But Lennie stirs up
trouble, and George must choose between his friend and his dream. This vivid picture of
the Great Depression conveys a tale of friendship, loneliness and unfortunate circumstances
for even “the best laid schemes of mice and men.” Winner of Best Play by the New York
Drama Critics’ Circle.
Directed by: Sonia Perez
Auditions will consist of readings from these sides. Please bring a list of any conflict dates
between the auditions and opening dates. Bring a headshot and resume if available.
Performance dates: March 31, April 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 & 9.
Audition dates: Saturday January 7th 1-4 pm Main Stage; Tuesday January 10th 6-8:30pm
Brown Building; Wednesday January 11th 6-8pm Brown Building - call backs if necessary
Note on age: all of the character’s ages indicated below are as Steinbeck has written them,
but they should not be considered set in stone.
Character Breakdown: (9 Men, 1 Woman)
Lennie: (30-40) Large, lumbering character with a childlike mentality. Does not understand
his own strength.
George: (30-40) Lean, wiry, quick-witted man who travels with and cares for Lennie.
George’s behavior is motivated by the desire to protect Lennie and dreams of owning his
own farm.
Candy: (60-70) An aging ranch handyman, Candy lost his hand in an accident and worries
about his future on the ranch. Fears that his age is making him useless.
The Boss: (Flexible age, over 40) Well-dressed man in charge of the ranch, and Curley’s
father. He is never named and appears only once, but seems to be a fair-minded man.
Curley: (22-30) The boss’s son, 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 flirtatious young wife.
Curley’s Wife: (20-25) The only female character in the story. The men on the farm refer to
her as a “tramp,” a “tart,”.” She represents the temptation of female sexuality in a maledominated world. Like the ranch-hands, she is desperately lonely and has broken dreams of
a better life.
Slim: (35-50) The acknowledged “prince” of the ranch, Slim is the only character who
seems to be at peace with himself. The other characters often look to Slim for advice.
Carlson: (35-50) A ranch-hand, Carlson complains bitterly about Candy’s old, smelly dog.
He convinces Candy to put the dog out of its misery.
Whit: (25- 50) A ranch hand; gives back story to some of the play’s characters.
Crooks: (40-60) An African-American stable-hand, 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.