Theater Review - Of mice, men and free speech
Student production of Of Mice and Men continues at 14th Street Playhouse
Banned from the Dacula High School stage, the student production of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men continues its two-weekend run at Midtown’s 14th Street Playhouse.
Belladonna Repertory, one of the theater community’s newest kids on the block, offered the student actors use of the company’s space after hearing that school Principal Donald Nutt had called off the show May 1 — only hours before the scheduled curtain — because of profanity and racial slurs that students and drama teacher Phillip Cate refused to delete from the script. Some students launched organized protests at the school before the production’s move to Midtown was announced.
A statement released by Belladonna Repertory managing director Tiffany Dyer says the company offered the use of its stage as a means of supporting the community, defending “artistic integrity” and fighting censorship.
Performances of Of Mice and Men are 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Monday. Tickets are $5 at the door, available an hour before curtain.??