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Health & Fitness

'Tell Me About the Rabbits, George'

This article is a play preview for Pikesville's fall production, "Of Mice and Men."

Friendship. Perseverance. Hope. These are some of the main themes of the tale Of Mice and Men. The novella, by John Steinbeck, is a story about two ranch workers who move from place to place searching for new jobs during the Great Depression.  Pikesville High School is performing this highly appraised novella as their fall production.

Mr. Douglas Kotula, the director of PHS’s Of Mice and Men, is very excited about this year’s production.  He has been waiting several years to do this play. 

“The cast this year is phenomenal,” Mr. Kotula said.  “We almost get along too well.” 

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Daniel Rosen (’16) plays Candy, a man in his mid-60s who has worked on ranches his entire life, even though he lost his hand in a ranch accident.  In the play, he cleans the ranches because he can no longer do other jobs. 

“I am very different from my character because I am a lot younger than him,” Daniel said. “Despite our age difference, we both have dreams.  I hope to become an actor and he wants to settle down on a ranch.”

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When rehearsals start at 2:30 p.m., the cast starts reviewing work from previous rehearsals and then blocks new material, or stage different parts of the play. 

“Rehearsals are enjoyable,” Mr. Kotula said.  “But at this point, we really have to focus on character development.”

Mr. Kotula hopes to stay true to the novel when the cast performs Of Mice and Men because most of the audience will be very familiar with the characters. 

“The cast gets along pretty well,” Daniel said.  “We have fun and goof off, but when we have to get serious, we work together really well and it is going great.” 

The cast of Of Mice and Men will perform on November 15, 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost five dollars in advance and eight dollars at the door. 

Of Mice and Men is about friendship, coming of age, defending ones honor and being true to yourself,” Mr. Kotula said. 

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