"SQUEAK" speaks to kids & adults

---Theater Review

Inter-species romance? A mouse matchmaker? First date fears? Queasy details about laboratory mice? Yep, it's all covered in the fanciful and fun "musical with a moral" playing for two weekends at the La Canada Theatre in Montrose.

The story opens with the famous mouse matchmaker "Cleopatra" (played by Deb Owen) introducing the characters, including her brawny, but maybe not so brainy brother "Brutus" (Mike McAdam), and recounting how Romance #85 all began. It is a cold and stormy night...

Inside, still in his white research coat and busily preparing for his first ever dinner-date at home is research scientist "Yuri" (Arron Rothbart). His favorite experimental mouse "Susanna" (Aria Noelle Curzon) has a nice little comfy cage with lots of perks (TV, M&Ms, pepperoni pizza) but she also has complete run of the house.

Susanna is in love with Yuri and understands everything he says, but her words are only tiny squeaks to him, although he admits she seems intelligent. (Her "I want to be your girlfriend, not your good friend" is sweet and poignant.)

As the scientist leaves to check on dinner prep, Cleopatra and Brutus check out Susanna. He views her as "too upscale" for a lowly guy like himself while his sister demands, "Are you a man or a mouse?"

Yuri's date for the night – if the snow storm lets up – is the comely, but hard working cafe waitress "Phoebe" (Rachele Gueli), who hates mice and dispatches them without prejudice at the restaurant so they won't lose their "A" rating.

When Phoebe arrives, she is ambivalent about her geeky date and the plain spaghetti he serves. She's also put off by his obvious quest for a live-in waitress. But she's practical and doesn't want to be a cafe waitress all her life. Things are progressing haltingly ... until Phoebe hears a "squeak" and goes "postal." Her agitated mouse-murder song is fun (and a bit creepy) to watch.

Brutus meanwhile has asked Susanna to share his laundry room nest and escape all the pain and suffering the scientist inflicts on her. "But I love him," she wails (like domestically abused women everywhere). "He gives you cancer!" "But he takes it away!" goes the argument.

How does this story of Romance #85 (and #85 and a half) end? Listen for the small "squeak" in your ear, and catch a performance.

The La Canada Theatre's mission and goal (as an independent, non-profit production company) is "to entertain and enlighten audiences, and to stimulate critical thinking about moral, political and social issues that confront us today." They accomplish the first part in "SQUEAK" with delightful charm. (Who doesn't love a fairytale romance...or two?)

It's only towards the end that you become aware of an underlying and disquieting issue. Kids will miss it, and maybe some adults. But it's there for you to consider. I didn't hear anyone talking about it as they milled around talking to the actors, but I'll bet some of them thought about it later. If so...the LCT's mission was accomplished.

For more information about the Theatre and its upcoming shows, visit www.lacanadatheatre.org, email info@lacanadatheatre.org, or call (818) 731-6740.

(SQUEAK was written by Sachi Oyama, the music/accompaniment by Brian leader, lyrics by Noelle Donfeld, and was directed by Al Pugliese)