South Philly Review

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Now being played on the Arden Theater’s stage by Second-and-McKean-streets resident Steven Pacek and Broad-and-Wolf-streets resident Davy Raphaely is an hour-long theatrical adaptation of the beloved children’s book, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” a 40-page adventure of a mouse who has many illogical yet impatient requests for a young boy — with some messiness thrown in for good measure.

“When I found out I got cast, I went home. I hadn’t read it in so long and I read the book and I told [my niece] I was playing the boy,” Baltimore, Md., native Raphaely said. “We stayed up way past her bedtime ’cause she was asking all types of questions.”

The production based on the 1985 children’s book written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond opened April 17, and due to popular demand, has been extended by four weeks until June 27. The two actors, Raphaely and Pacek, who play the boy and the mouse, respectively, are the only cast members.

“‘Why does the set look the way it does?’” Pacek said is one of the most frequently asked question during the after-performance talk-backs the actors have with the attending audience, usually made up of elementary school students. “Our set, the set is really friggin’ cool. It’s designed so everything is one-and-a-half times normal size to make Davy and I look smaller.

“It’s designed in a two-point perspective so the walls angle up and in, so that the audience would feel like they are looking at the whole set from the Mouse’s point of view.”

The two actors were a little wary of having to carry the entire hour-long play with one intermission by themselves. Luckily, their fears were quickly put to rest.

“That was something I was little nervous about since it’s only two people in the show and chemistry on stage can be a tricky thing. Luckily, right from the first rehearsal, I knew that we were going to be fine,” Pacek said. “We shared a similar energy and similar way about rehearsing things, which I am really grateful for.”

Raphaely is right in sync: “I was really happy. And we have a great relationship and that works really well on stage.”

If audience turnout is a good indication of their on-stage chemistry, the pair is definitely in perfect stride. Performances have been sold out through June, with multiple schools buying up tickets well in advance and making it difficult for the public to grab a seat, including blocking out one of the co-stars own kin.

“I finally put in some tickets for them, probably in the middle of June,” Raphaely said of plans to bring his nieces, Ella and Samara, to the show. “I’m really looking forward to that and my sister said they kept watching [our online teaser].”

Pacek, 31, and Raphaely, 30, had never met before “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie,” though both have worked extensively in the Philadelphia theater community for a handful of years. However, they both came highly recommended from mutual friends, who reassured the actors they would hit it off.

“I only knew Davy through friends, mostly through my friends that had done ‘The Eclectic Society’ at the Walnut Street Theater,” Pacek said.

Raphaely has the same story, relaying the good reviews he got of Pacek while working at the Walnut.

“From day one rehearsals, we worked well together and we were able to play, making a mess, making discoveries together. It was a very easy process — a lot of work, but an easy process,” Raphaely who teaches a weekly Philadelphia Young Playwrights class to juniors and seniors at Neumann-Goretti, 1736 S. 10th St., said.

Pacek, who recently moved into his Pennsport digs “between Two and Three streets” with two friends, two cats and one dog, has lived around the area for some time, including Old City and Bella Vista. Originally from the Northeast, Pacek ventured out of the area to study theater at Ithaca College.

“Right after I graduated I moved to New York City and I lived there for six months,” Pacek said. “I was lucky and got my [professional actors union] card from the first show I did.

“New York got to be a bit much for me — I was in farm country then moving right to New York was a culture shock.”

He gave the next logical choice a go, but Los Angeles was an even rougher fit. It turned out, like so many things, the answer was right under his nose.