The classic production “Of Mice and Men” is coming to the stage inside the Emma Kelly Theater in downtown Statesboro.
The play will be in town Friday for one performance at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the production are $18 for members, $20 for non-members and $10 for youth.
Originally a novella written by Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men was adapted in 1937 for theater audiences. The play follows George Milton and Lennie Small, two ranch workers with opposing personalities. Living in California during the Depression, George dreams of fame while Lennie enjoys the simplicity life has to offer. The two men encounter obstacles that test their growing friendship as they work to find a place to call their own.
Of Mice and Men will be performed by National Players, a touring company marking 63 years of successful productions. Spencer Smith, company manager of National Players, believes the characters of the production are fun and relatable.
“I think people really connect with the story and the character relationships,” Smith said. “The relationship of Lennie and George is my favorite fictional relationship because it’s something people can really relate to. It’s a beautiful story, really.”
Tim Chapman, executive director of Averitt Center for the Arts, is excited for the play to hit center stage at the Emma Kelly Theater.
“The production applies to our theme this year, ‘A Present of the Past’,” Chapman said.  “In the present we’re going to give you a glimpse of the past.”
The theater production Of Mice and Men offers a chance to see one of the most beloved and read books of 20th Century literature on stage.
For tickets contact the Emma Kelly box office at 912-212-2787 or purchase online at www.averittcenterforthearts.org.
Of Mice and Men is funded by grants from South Arts and the Fox Theater Institute.