Emotional rollercoaster: a review of Mice and Men

The setting alone is enough to catch the attention of anyone with an interest in history.

Set during author John Steinbeck’s California during the depression era, two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Smalls, find jobs in a barley ranch to ‘work up a stake’.

Milton and Smalls, played by Adam Leblanc and Peter Vrana respectively act out a pair of misfit friends. Milton is an intelligent man, but too cynical and Smalls is a dim witted giant with stupendous strength.

As close friends they share a vision of buying a ranch and live freely. But in the end their dreams are squashed and they are faced with a reality neither is ready to face.

The play, put on by the Montreal Theatre Ensemble, was well acted by a cast mostly comprised of former students of the John Abbott College theatre program.

Vrana easily stole the show with his interpretation of smalls, by bringing out the character’s gentle side.

However, the play’s unravelling came with the set. A poor layout did not do justice to the effort the 10 actors put in nor the great directing job of John Abbott theatre teacher Terry Donald.

In the end, Donald’s adaptation Of Mice and Men kept the attention of the audience by solid acting, but failed to capture the imagination needed for a play with such historical value.

The play continues at the Casgrain Theatre in Ste. Anne de Bellevue until Sept. 13. For more information, call 514-515-9140 or check www.mtlte.com.