Of Mice and Men is about the specific loneliness afflicting the inhabitants of hardscrabble landscapes, the kind that hollows you out and crushes you in the middle like a discarded aluminum can.

Different manifestations of this isolation come poignantly to life in an affecting production at Olney Theatre Center.

If you go Of Mice and Men runs through Oct. 28 at the Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road. Showtimes vary. Tickets are $25-$46. Call 301-924-3400 or go to olneytheatre.org.