We did that show about 5 years ago, and I believe we changed the word. We are also in a very white community, and one where the word "damn"  causes quite a stir, so while it's not absolutely legal we changed it.  I know some would say it's better not to do the show than change a line, but sometimes you have to ease an audience into handling "edgier" material, rather than hitting them over the head with it and scaring them off. (btw, we just did "Sabrina Fair" and got a complaint about languale in that, just to show the level of conservativism in our audience) If one word makes your cast that uneasy, that could show through in the performances and make the audience uneasy as well. If you think they can become more comfortable with it (as a word in context of the world of the play) in the next two months keep it in and just try to work it out with them. If not, think about changing it. good luck!

It helps if they remember that "they" are not saying it...their character is.  They live in another world in this play and at that time and place the "n" word was the norm.  Same as calling a grown black man "boy".  We would never consider it now, but it is our character who lives there, not us, personally.  We are being transported back, magically, to something that isn't us, it's a pretend world for us, it can make us grateful we aren't there.

If you soften the language in a play like that, then you're essentially "forgetting" what a hurtful word that is and that's far more damaging. You WANT to shock your audience because it IS shocking behavior. It's not about the language, it's the mentality and behavior.

I know I'm not saying this right but in my head I know what I mean. Perhaps someone else can back me up here.

chel and imamember are spot on target

it is a very uncomfortable thing to deal with ... but that's all it is.

Do they also have to work on being comfortable committing murder at the end?

As ugly as the word is, should it really make us more uncomfortable pretending to be a person who says it than to pretend to be a person who MURDERS another?

Use of the offensive word was typical of 1930's America as black people were thought of as inferior to white people. This suggests that Crooks was friendless. He has his "own bunk in a separate nigger room" and "he scattered personal possessions around the floor; for being alone he could leave things about". Crooks is obviously suffering from racial discrimination as he is the only black man on the ranch and is not allowed in the bunkroom with the other men because of his colour.

By not using the word, you are removing the prejudice and loneliness of Crooks from the text. I think if you read the text of the novel you will realize the emotions that should arise when the word is used.

One of the reasons a person I auditioned did not get a role (one being he was a bad actor) is he came and didn't know what "1984" was about.  "Of Mice and Men" is not an unknown and easy to look up.  After being cast is a bad time to say "I didn't know this is what it was about." It shouldn't come as a shock to anyone.