Theater teacher Natasha Fischer is performing in Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble’s (SATE) production of Of Mice and Men. 

Fischer plays Candy who, in John Steinbeck’s original novella, is an old man with one hand.

“I went in to read for Curly’s wife, and they wanted to try and do this whole new concept of having one of the guys be a woman who is trying to send money back to her country. Back in the 1930s, I guess a lot of immigrant women came up and dressed as men and worked in the fields to send money back to their families in Mexico or whichever country they came from, so that’s what my role is trying to go for,” Fischer said. 

Fischer’s role is not the only one receiving a different spin.

She said, “The guy playing Lenny is actually black, so they are trying to do some racially diverse stuff with that as well.”

Performances are held at The Chapel in St. Louis at 8 p.m. and will continue through Saturday Nov. 18.

Fischer has been involved in other productions as well. She recently performed in In the Heights with R-S Theatrics and is also acting in a play titled The Residents of Craigslist with Equally Represented Arts (ERA) in December.

“Acting is my favorite thing in the whole wide world. It’s anything with theater. If I don’t make a play, I still try to do something backstage, or I’ll even sell tickets for a company just to be in this world of theater,” Fischer said. 

To purchase tickets for SATE’s Of Mice and Men, visit SlightlyOff.org.