Dawn Oesch at the helm ‘Of Mice and Men’
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Known for directing musicals for community theater, Dawn Oesch was a founding member of the Local Actors Guild of Saratoga and directs with that company for the first time John Steinbeck’s literary classic, “Of Mice and Men.” The play opens Saturday, May 11, at the Saratoga Arts Center, 320 Broadway.
“I love drama, and to be able to direct this is just a treat,” Oesch said. “From my perspective, this is a show I’ve always wanted to do. It was my favorite book growing up; actually the book that made me want to read.”
Steinbeck’s story tells the heartbreaking tale of two Depression-era brothers adrift in California and struggling to find work. They wind up on a ranch, where George (portrayed by area veteran Sev Moro) tries to keep in check his hulking brother Lenny (J.J. Buechner), possessed of enormous strength but the mental capacity of a child.
All signs point to Lenny after the ranch owner’s wife is found strangled, precipitating a painful choice by George on how to balance his love for his brother and the need to protect him from others — and from himself.
The intimate confines of the Dee Sarno Theater at The Saratoga Arts Center is “the perfect spot to perform this,” Oesch said.
“It actually works really well. The main set, a ranch bunkhouse, is only 16 feet by 20 feet, and very authentic looking. I love set dressing. And there are two small thrusts to either side of it. In this setting, you really get to be a part of these characters, right in your face.”