Often, a book will be written and a movie version of the book will be produced. People flock to the movies to see their favorite characters immortalized on the screen. But for a class of Junior AP English students, they weren’t rushing to the movie theater to see their latest class reading. Instead, they went to the theater.
On Jan, 26, ALT put on one of many productions of John Steinbeck’s classic novel “Of Mice and Men.” The play’s production coincided perfectly with the AP English schedule: AP students finished reading the book only a day before the play. For a more in depth understanding of the book, English teacher Shawn Lance took 14 students from his AP English classes to see the play.
“It gave the students a visual representation of the novel,” Lance said. “It allowed the students to see how Steinbeck wrote the novel in a sort of play format.”
The story revolves around two men, George and Lennie, and their efforts to achieve their dreams and unravel the complexity of their relationship. The book is set in the context of California’s struggles during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. While the story is a short and light read, seeing the play helped some students piece it all together.
“It made “Of Mice and Men” more interesting,” junior Hannah Shaffer said. “The actors really brought the characters to life and it was interesting getting a new perspective on the characters.”
Differences between books and plays are inevitable, but some students felt the play did a great job of portraying the book.
“The play captured the essence of the book really well,” junior Emily Key said. “I enjoyed the set the most. It was very simple, but it really set the feeling for the play.”
The play cost seven dollars per student, an amount many said was a small price to pay for the experience. Not only did the students get a better feel for the book, they said they also gained a better understanding of their classmates.
“Going to a play as a class really made going to a school function more fun,” Shaffer said. “It was a good bonding experience. Hanging out with people I usually didn’t hang out with out of the classroom was a good change.”