BWW Reviews: IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE at the Arden Theatre Company

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie asks what will happen if you do just that. The short answer is that the mouse will continue asking for things, have a lot of fun, and in the process destroy your house. But along the way, this children's theater production currently playing on the Arden Theatre Company's Arcadia Stage teaches a good lesson about cause and effect. The play is based on the beloved children's book written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. On stage, two actors bring the story to life with all of its hilarious antics and the addition of physical comedy.

 

The most notable part of this production is the 140% scale employed by scenic designer David P. Gordon and properties master Meredith McEwen. Without these elements, the production would simply be a cute show. However, these technical aspects work to help the adult actors actually appear as an eight year old boy and mouse. It is their interactions with the set - needing chairs to get to objects on top shelves, climbing through cupboards and up refrigerators, using drawers as steps, etc. - that make the show magical.  The set itself is also constructed at an angle that enhances the scale. All in all, both the set and props help the actors and the audience to fully immerse themselves in the world of the child.

 

Continuing with tech, Richard St. Clair's costume interpretation of the mouse gives enough of the sense of the animal through accessories but includes human clothing, building on the original illustrations and further humanizing the character.  The original music and sound design provided by Jorge Cousineau capture the different spirits of the boy and the mouse, while also signaling the imminence of mistakes and messes. Cousineau is also responsible for another fascinating technical aspect of the show. In act one, the boy rolls out a large mirror. As the mouse begins to look at himself, his reflection starts doing different things and making fun of him. This leads to a good bit of physical comedy that spurred instant laughter. (If you stay after for the Q&A with the cast immediately following the show, they'll be happy to show you how this was achieved through filming on a green screen and a hidden projector).

 

The two cast members are well directed by Whit MacLaughlin who clearly understands the minds of children - both those in the audience and those being portrayed on stage. His director's note highlights the theme of cause and effect in the show, and even with out the note, this is very apparent in his direction. The boy's character often straddles the balance between wanting to have fun and not wanting his mom to get mad, while the mouse is a true kid - always looking for something new to do, using his imagination, and making messes. Movement director Samantha Bellomo is also to be credited for some of the crazy antics and highly choreographed moments of physical comedy that get the biggest laughs.

 

Steve Pacek is adorable as the mouse to the point where even at his most annoying it is hard to dislike him. He is able to talk at an incredibly fast pace on tangential subjects without taking a breath or losing any words. Pacek also has a real knack for the role's physicality and his ability to be a bundle of energy at a 10 AM show was unbelievable. His knowledge of comedic timing really keeps the show moving. I was astounded when David Raphaely as the boy walked on stage to deliver his first lines to an audience of children who had been screaming due to the pre-show blackout and was able to capture their attention fully within ten seconds.  While his character gets frustrated with the mouse, he is able to do so without killing the fun of the show or becoming an unlikable character. Raphaely also demonstrates a good sense of comedic timing and physicality-especially in slapstick. The two are well rehearsed in their parts to the point that the pantomime moments become all the more realistic and funny.

 

The one problem with this production lies in the script itself as adapted by Jody Davidson. Obviously the pattern is repetitive-fair warning, this may be a spoiler, but only if you've never read the book-the mouse asks for something, boy gives that thing to the mouse, some mess is create. Needless to say, it's easy to predict what is coming next. The adults started groaning by the beginning of act two, but even some of the kids around me were reacting with "ugh"s before laughing by the middle of the act. Perhaps this could be remedied with a little cutting to make it a one act. That being said, the creation of the final mess and the mouse's acrobatic feat (to say more would absolutely ruin it), makes up for this weakness and ends the show on a humorous note that leaves children and adults laughing and clapping.

 

All in all, the Arden's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, is an utterly adorable and laugh-inducing production. The performances are wonderful, but it's the world in which they exist that makes the production delightful for audience members of all ages. Whether you remember the book from your childhood, are sharing it with your children or grandchildren, or have never read the picture book at all, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is sure to bring a smile to your face. 

 

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie plays at the Arden now through June 13th. For more information please see the official press release and photo coverage.