A quick escape to the Broadway stage might be in order this week; for theatre fans, Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College is bringing stars James Franco, Chris O’Dowd and Leighton Meester from the big stage in New York to the screen (and comfy, relaxing 400-seat venue) of Harbison Theatre in Irmo for Of Mice and Men, the first screening of Harbison Theatre’s new National Theatre Live series, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

Golden Globe® winner and Academy Award® nominee James Franco (127 Hours, Milk, Pineapple Express), Tony Award® nominee Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids, HBO’s “Girls”) and Teen Choice Award winner Leighton Meester (“Gossip Girl,” Country Strong) star on-screen in this stage revival of Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck’s literary portrait of the American spirit and heartbreaking testament to the bonds of friendship.

“This story will never cease to break our hearts, nor to challenge us to reflect on the characteristics of our own friendships and relationships,” says Katie Fox, Executive Director at Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College.

Celebrated by USA Today as “a starry, stinging and powerful production,” Of Mice and Men is directed by Tony Award®, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circles award winner Anna D. Shapiro (Broadway’s August: Osage County), and also features Tony Award® winner Jim Norton (The Seafarer).

“We are honored to provide access to these Broadway-caliber performances in the Midlands. The National Theatre produces some of the strongest theatre in the world, and these new pre-recorded productions are an innovative new product,” notes Fox.

“The college is excited to expand access to excellence. We’re especially excited to expand access to famous literary titles to our Midlands Technical College students and public school students,” adds Fox.

National Theatre Live is a groundbreaking project launched six years ago that has broadcast over twenty productions from the Royal National Theatre in London, England and other associated locations to more than 3.5 million people across the world. Each production is performed in front of a live audience with multiple cameras positioned throughout the auditorium to ensure that all viewers of the screening have “the best seat in the house.”

Harbison Theatre’s new four-screening National Theatre Live series will also include:

• Frankenstein, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
• Hamlet, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.
• Treasure Island, based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic literary tale, on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 at 2:00 p.m.

This National Theatre Live screening of Of Mice and Men is recommended for teens and older.

Ticketing Details

Of Mice and Men is the first of four screenings in Harbison Theatre’s new National Theatre Live series. Individual show tickets and the National Theatre Live Package – where patrons save 10% on tickets to all four shows – are available now at www.HarbisonTheatre.org. Buyers may also order tickets via phone at 803-407-5011, or in person at the Harbison Theatre Box Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The box office also will open two hours prior to each show in the Signature Series.