John Steinbeck; Literature to Theatre
John Steinbeck; Literature to Theatre
John Steinbeck; Literature to Theatre#1
Posted: 3/4/09 at 6:25pmThese days in school we are reading John Steinbeck a lot. I have so far read The Pearl and Of Mice and Men. I am reading Grapes of Wrath now. I was thinking how some of his books would translate on stage. I know Of Mice and Men has been stages many times but Steinbeck is so amazing at character development and giving raw emotions I am stunned that more of his works haven't been brought to the stage. i was wondering which of his other works do you think would work on broadway.
Joined: 12/31/69
re: John Steinbeck; Literature to Theatre#2
Posted: 3/5/09 at 12:59amDon't forget one of the more interesting ones--R&H wanted to adapt Canary Row which is more a series of linked short stories and Steinbeck (I don't quite have all the details) was so keen on the idea he essentially wrote a sequel, Sweeet Thurday, with a sense of the theatre so it could be easily adapted. It became Pipe Dream--which I think is a vastly underated show letdown slightly by Hammerstein not being as dirty as Steinbeck could be and the lead woman being far too operatic-and miscast.
re: John Steinbeck; Literature to Theatre#2
Posted: 3/5/09 at 3:53am
I can't tell from your post, esparza 333, if you know of Frank Galati's stage adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath, which won the 1990 Tony for best play.
Steinbeck himself wrote a few plays, apart from Of Mice and Men (I can't tell if you know that Steinbeck wrote the play himself, though perhaps with some uncredited help from George S. Kaufman), but none was very successful.
Jack Kirkland, who wrote the hugely successful play adaptation of Tobacco Road, also adapted Tortilla Flat for the stage, but it wasn't successful.
And then there was a musical version of East of Eden, titled Here's Where I Belong, but it also was not successful.
re: John Steinbeck; Literature to Theatre#3
Posted: 3/5/09 at 7:08amI do know of Frank Galati's Grapes of Wrath but I am just surprised that we don't see his plays or adaptations so much. Like you said a few were unsuccessful but I still feel that we haven't seen to much of him. Because in the right hands there could make a stunning production of any of his plays, novels, or novellas.
Joined: 12/31/69
re: John Steinbeck; Literature to Theatre#4
Posted: 3/5/09 at 8:00am
I also forgot, RIcky Ian Gordon did an opera of Grapes of Wrath 2 years back that got absolutely KILLER good reviews. It's been recorded and i'd love to hear it but can't afford it right now. I know that's not really the kinda theatre you mean but Ricky sorta straddles musicals and opera (though I have to admit I still can't get into the one musical by him I have My Life with Albertine which makes my LaChiusa CDs, who I love, sound like Jerry Herman)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath_(opera)
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