Of Mice and Men

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October 30 – 8pm
November 1 – 2pm
Brown Theatre | Buy Tickets

Conductor: Joseph Mechavich
Director: Michael Cavanagh
George: Rod Nelman
Lennie: Michael Hendrick
Candy: John Stephens
Curley: Dan Weeks

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American Opera with Floyd and Heggie : WUOL 90.5FM podcast with Daniel Gilliam

Of composers and novelists : LEO Weekly's Bill Doolittle

Leads in tune with Floyd's ‘Of Mice and Men' : Courier-Journal's Andrew Adler

About Carlisle Floyd
Carlisle Floyd has created a distinctively American idiom for opera, drawing on national folk and religious music traditions * His nine music theatre works combine penetrating social commentary with acute psychological insight * Writes his own librettos, in which he has treated such themes as the aftermath of the Civil War, the Great Depression, and rural fundamentalism * Susannah, his best-known opera, has entered the permanent repertory with countless productions in the U.S. and a growing number in Europe

For a complete biography click here...

One day Soon
Why did you have to go an' die?

ENRICHMENT EVENTS
Lunch & Listen  |  Wednesday, October 14  |  12 noon
A collaboration with WUOL Louisville Public Media, produced in front of a live audience, featuring musical excerpts from Of Mice and Men and interviews and commentaries by David Roth. Louisville Public Media  | 619 South Fourth Street
RSVP: Kate Kleinert at 502.587.8681

Sights & Sounds | Sunday, October 18 | 1:30pm
A partnership with The Speed Art Museum, Kentucky Opera staff and guest speakers that explores an aspect from each opera as it relates to a similar theme in visual arts at that time. The Speed Art Museum Auditorium | 2035 South Third Street

Kentucky Opera announces Opera Bound - a new literary program launched by the Education Department that ties this opera production to its origin in literature. Click here for a complete listing of Opera Bound events.

Act I

Scene 1: A clearing in a dark wood, late in the evening
George Milton and his traveling companion, Lennie Small are once again fleeing from the police and arrive in the clearing to hide. This situation provokes the almost daily explosion of anger from George, followed eventually by yet another reconciliation (My life would be so simple without you). Lennie has a mouse with him that he has inadvertently killed by petting it too roughly (I didn’t see no harm). George discovers the dead mouse and makes Lennie throw it away (You killed it!). Lennie objects, telling George that he loves soft things that he can stroke and pet (Somethin’ warm an’ soft with fur). To appease Lennie, George describes their dream of a farm of their own (One day soon), as they settle down for the night.

Scene 2: The ranch bunkhouse; the next day
Curley, the ranch boss, waits impatiently in the bunkhouse (An’ maybe they won’t show up at all) with Candy, an old crippled ranch-hand, for George and Lennie to arrive. Curley's wife, a cheaply attractive young woman, comes into the bunkhouse and complains of Curley's neglect (I want to go out tonight). Quarreling, the couple leaves. George and Lennie enter reporting for work, as the remaining ranch-hands return from the fields. Slim, the most respected of the ranch hands, offers his dog’s new litter of puppies to the men. As the ranch hands begin their nightly activities, Curley's wife re-enters the bunkhouse and openly flirts with the men (I’m beginning to feel neglected, not what I had expected). After she has gone, a furor erupts over Candy's old smelly dog, with Carlson and the ranch-hands demanding the dog be shot rather than remain in the bunkhouse. Candy protests, but is eventually overwhelmed by the shouts of the men (he stinks like hell! Get rid of him!), and Carlson takes the dog outside and shoots him. Lennie pleads with George for one of Slim's puppies (Somethin’ I could stroke an’ pet).

Scene 3: The ranch bunkhouse; several days later.
As the ranch hands are outside tossing horseshoes, George is looking through the newspaper and finds an ad for a small farm. Slim tries to discourage him, (Ev’ry hand I ever knew has had your dream) but George says he and Lennie will find their dream, declaring that his and Lennie's lives will not be the lonely lives of isolation of typical ranch-hands (I ain’t gonna buck grain the rest of my life).

As George reads the want ad to Lennie, he is overheard by Candy who offers his savings, but only if he is included in their plans. With some quick calculations, George believes they can buy the property within one month. George, Lennie and Candy celebrate.

Lennie, George and Candy’s celebration is interrupted by Curley's wife who, despite their pleas, willfully insists on staying in the bunkhouse (What’s the big celebration?). She is discovered there by Curley, who enters with Slim and Carlson. Lennie chuckles at Curley’s anger, so Curley begins beating Lennie with his riding crop. George tells Lennie to defend himself (Get him Lennie), so Lennie seizes Curley’s hand and bends it back until Curley cannot take anymore. George and Candy are fearful for their jobs, however Slim says if Curley does not fire them, they will not tell how he got hurt. But Curley’s wife says she’s glad he’s been hurt, to which Curley begins beating her. The men pull Curley away and his wife runs from the room. Candy asks George to read aloud about their farm again (For sale cheap).

Act II

Scene 1 - The ranch bunkhouse.
Scene 2 - The hay barn; the following afternoon
Lennie is hiding in the barn, holding his dead puppy which he inadvertently killed.  Curley’s wife enters with her suitcase. She tells Lennie that she’s leaving Curley and heading for Hollywood to be a movie star (I’m headin’ for Hollywood). Lennie tells her about his dream of owning a farm and while she talks of expensive clothes and a glamorous career, Lennie is excited about pigs and ducks. Lennie tells her of his love of stroking soft things and she invites him to stroke her hair. Fascinated, Lennie is unable to stop (So smooth so soft) when Curley's wife begins to protest. Alarmed she screams for help. Lennie, afraid of being discovered with her, covers her mouth with his hand and in the struggle accidentally breaks her neck. Dimly perceiving what he has done (I done somethin’ bad . . . real bad this time), he tries to cover her body with the hay and then leaves the barn. Candy shortly appears and discovers the body. George and Slim are summoned by Candy, and Slim urges George to get Carlson’s pistol from the bunk house and “get it over with as soon as you can”. Broken, George exits with Slim while Candy curses the dead body of Curley's wife for robbing them of their dreams (Look what you took from us! Rot in hell, damn you!).

Scene 3 - A clearing in the woods Lennie rushes in, cold and frightened with George following him.
Lennie offers to leave by himself, but George tells him to stay. Lennie becomes alarmed when he hears the ranch hands in the distance, so George begins telling him about their little farm. He urges Lennie to look across the river and imagine their farm (Look over there, Lennie, like you really can see it). Lennie says that he does see their farm and drops to his knees (Everything peaceful, nothing to fear. I see it. It’s our home, George, our home!). George stands behind him, pulls out the pistol and shoots Lennie in the head. George pulls the folded newspaper ad from his wallet and places it in Lennie’s hand. The ranch hands rush in and stand around a slumped George. In the distance, the song of the balladeer is heard.