'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' is sweet

"IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE," through March 19 SCERA Center for the Arts;(801-225-2569 or www.scera.org); running time: 60 minutes (no intermission)

OREM — It's pretty impressive how much of a mess one small mouse can make in one short hour.

It's also fairly funny and interesting to watch as the storybook mouse, who asks for a cookie, goes on to wreak havoc all over the giant-size set.

At least the children in the audience thought so.

And the antics of Ben Wille, who plays the mouse, keep the adults amused, too.

Shawn M. Mortensen plays the part of a small boy who tries to be nice to his tiny guest but is increasingly concerned about what his mother — and, oh no, his father! — is going to say when he and she get home.

The story is a familiar and well-loved tale written by Laura Joffe Numeroff that, in this case, is stretched out a bit by adding a comic book tale in the middle.

Both Mortensen and Wille get into their parts, and even though the mouse mask/head — designed by Nat Reed — doesn't allow Wille any chance for facial expression, he talks nicely with his hands and feet.

Mortensen, who usually sits in the director's chair, knows how to play a part.

A particularly fun segment is the mouse in the mirror part with Sarah Thornton playing the mirror image.

Other nice moments include the mouse trying to reach his cup of milk on top of a very tall counter and trying to nap in a pink, bath talc box.

(The talc puff generates a good amount of dust when it's turned into a mouse pillow and lingers — something to note if you're inclined to sneezing.)

Costuming is nicely done, except that the mouse's tail fell off at a critical point.

The set, again giant-size and colorful with great big crayons and scissors and straws, makes the story work.

Delivery is well-paced, and a number of sound effects and lighting changes keep the story fresh.

This is a good production for young children who know the story and who haven't had a theater experience before.

e-mail: haddoc@desnews.com