Thumbs up for both the mouse and boy!

• By KAREN MARTIN
• Advocate assistant People editor
• Published: Jun 23, 2009 - Page: 1D

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Oh what a mouse. And a boy.

From the minute Ashleigh Gray Dowden as The Mouse and Scott Siepker as The Boy take the Manship Theatre stage, they don’t just bring “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” to life, they make it sparkle in this Playmakers’ production.

Who would have ever thought you could make such a delightful play from Laura Joffe Numeroff’s children’s favorite of less than 300 words?

The stage adaptation by Jody Davidson is, of course, longer, but it flows effortlessly as the story of the demanding, yet oh-so-polite, little rodent who visits  The Boy, who is staying at home alone for the first time while his mother visits a relative.

It starts with The Mouse’s request for a cookie, then a glass of milk, then a straw, then a napkin and a mirror and on and on until the house is a complete mess, and you realize an hour has flown by and your face is fixed in a perpetual smile.

Dowden’s mouse is a bundle of energy and enthusiasm. Her chatter and her feet never stop. She must have done Olympics-like training to ready herself for the role. Or perhaps it was mountain climbing. From the top of the table to the kitchen counters to a harrowing adventure atop the refrigerator, Dowden’s Mouse gobbles the stage as easily as she gobbled the cookie.

The biggest departure from the book is in The Boy’s character. In the book, The Boy meets The Mouse’s demands without comment. Not so in the play. This Boy is sardonic, in a smart sit-com kind of way. He frequently breaks the fourth wall,  speaking directly to the audience.

Siepker plays it to perfection, even his walk exuding his resignation at being cast as The Mouse’s suffering servant.

There’s also a long scene not in the book of The Mouse acting out The Boy’s reading of his “Jungle Man” comic book. Dowden is inspired. She had us totally believing a blanket was King Constrictor trying to take down the comic book hero.

Matt Rist also has a small role in the play as The Mouse’s mirror image, and he carries it off nicely. He also does a great job entertaining the audience during the short intermission.

Neena Kelfstrom directs the production, and you can tell she had a good time with these fine actors. Shawn Halliday deserves special kudos for the kitchen set, as does props master Jim Bussolati. It was wonderful how items that were small in The Boy’s hands, such as the napkin, became huge in The Mouse’s paws. All around, this Playmaker’s production gets an overwhelming thumbs up.