Paul Newman had originally been announced to stage the John Steinbeck classic, which will play the Connecticut venue Oct. 7-25. Newman withdrew due to health reasons.

Of Mice and Men will star Brian Hutchison as George and Mark Mineart as Lennie. The company also includes Mateo Gomez (Boss), Matthew Montelongo (Slim), Betsy Morgan (Curly's Wife), Tommy Nohilly (Carlson), Sean Patrick Reilly (Whit), Rafael Sardina (Curly) and Edward Seamon (Candy).

Press notes for the 1937-set Of Mice and Men state, "George dreams of owning land and being his own boss. His mentally challenged partner, Lennie, simply dreams of playing with rabbits. Having encountered problems at their last job, George and Lennie are forced to flee to a new farm for work, until Lennie's simple-minded strength gets them into trouble."

The design team includes Tony Award winner Michael Yeargan (Light in the Piazza, South Pacific) as scenic designer, Jane Greenwood as costume designer, and John Gromada, who has composed the original score, will serve as sound designer.

Mark Lamos has directed the Broadway productions of Our Country's Good, Cymbeline, Seascape, The Rivals, The Gershwin's Fascinating Rhythm and The Deep Blue Sea. Tickets are available by calling (203) 227-4177 or by visiting www.westportplayhouse.org.

In its 78-season history, the Westport Country Playhouse — located in Westport, CT — has produced more than 700 plays, 35 of which have transferred to Broadway.