[NEohioPAL] Review of Blank Canvas Theatre's "Of Mice And Men"

[Marcus Bales]

Patrick Ciamacco <https://www.facebook.com/patrick.ciamacco> has found a
place of his own.

His new production, Steinbeck's "Of Mice And Men" at that place, Blank
Canvas Theatre, is terrific.

Joe Kenderes <https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=508138439> as George
Milton, the good smart guy, is intense! Ciamacco himself as Lennie the
child-like giant, is transcendent with innocence. Marvin Mallory burns with
a hard and gem-like flame as Crooks, and Tim Tvcar's old man Candy captures
th...e essence of hope in despair. Noah Hbrek uses his entire body to exude
Curley, that awful kid you hated in high school whose unearned privilege
made him a bully; Dan Bush has created that Marlboro Man aura of calm
competence for his portrayal of Slim, the other genuinely good man in this
play, who understands George Milton's dilemmas entirely. Betsy Kahl plays
Curley's unnamed wife as if she knew her name intimately, and matches
Ciamacco's portrayal of innocence with an equal one of her own. Lucas
Scattergood makes Carlson a damaged man trying to find his way to the kind
of genuine maleness Bush gives Slim and Kenderes gives George -- a very
difficult performance that Scattergood pulls off without drawing too much
attention to it. William Goff as Whit and John Polk as The Boss are
entirely right in their roles.

Through it all Ciamacco directs the cast by winding the tension tighter
faster than you think it's going to go, never losing the pace that lets the
actors build this well-written show through its small climaxes to the final
big one.

If you don't cry at the end you just weren't paying attention.

Blank Canvas Theatre
1305 West 78th Street,
Suite 211,
Cleveland, OH 44102

Phone 1 440.941.0458

Email patrick at blankcanvastheatre.com
Website http://www.BlankCanvasTheatre.com<http://www.blankcanvastheatre.com/>
Price $15
Parking Free
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