Mighty 'Mouse' Takes Stage at Longfellow

Kate and Dave Dombrowski form quite a directorial team at . While many schools at that level are forced to build any drama program they might wish to have on the abilities of a volunteer teacher with little real theater experience, Longfellow gets two experts for the price of one.

The students who will open their fall play, "The Mouse That Roared," at 7 p.m. Thursday benefit from close to a century of solid knowledge in the Dombrowskis.

"I directed high school theater for 36 years in Greenfield," said Dave. "After I took it on – I was teaching English, but theater was my passion – the administration told me that if I needed any assistance, the librarian had a lot of experience and interest in stagecraft.

"I said, 'Assistance? Experience? You bet I'll take that.'"

That assistant was Kate, and they later took hands in marriage while forming a dynamic duo backstage. Dave was more interested in directing actors, while Kate excelled in costuming, scenery and technical aspects, so they covered all bases and complemented one another.

Now, their roles are reversed. Kate, the library media specialist at Longfellow, is the director and Dave is her assistant. Kate is in her eighth year of directing drama at Longfellow, and "Mouse" is her 15th show there.

Based on a British novel published in 1955, at the height of the Cold War, "Mouse" satirizes the conduct of superpowers at the expense of smaller nations. Its invention is the fictional Duchy of Grand Fenwick, just 15 square miles populated by about 6,000 citizens of English descent, squirreled away in the French Alps.

After having been ignored for centuries, Fenwick learns that its sole export, a wine called Pinot Grand Fenwick, is being copied and undersold by a California label, pushing the tiny nation toward bankruptcy.

The solution? A declaration of war, of course. Losing a war to the United States has always meant oodles of foreign aid to rebuild, along with highly beneficial trade agreements.

It doesn't quite work out that way, though, when the Fenwickian army invades New York and comes away victorious.

Kate Dombrowski said that in the past, knowing she's working with actors 11 to 14 years old, she's looked for plays that had a lot of children's roles. But lately, she's taken to challenging her charges (last spring's musical was "Guys and Dolls") with all-adult character casting.

"Mouse" is not only filled with adult roles, it demands that adolescent actors pull off sometimes wry, sometimes over-the-top British humor. As it turns out, being bombastic with a straight face comes surprisingly easy to these young thespians.

Kate's cast has built up some experience to bring to bear.

"I've been in five shows so far" at Longfellow, said Henry Lynch, who plays Tully Bascom, Grand Fenwick's chief forester and suddenly its reluctant field marshal.

This is Henry's first lead role since he was in elementary school, but he'd have been happy just being cast.

"I was good in getting any role," he said, "however, I was interested in the professor." Professor Kokintz is the inventor of the secret Q-bomb, another super-weapon to end all wars.

"Mouse" and the gentle but ardent Tully suit Henry's taste just fine.

"I love it," he said. "It's very funny. And I like the people very much."

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The Mouse That Roared

At 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday

Longfellow Middle School Auditorium, 7600 W. North Ave.

Tickets may be purchased from the box office through Friday, from 3:20 to 4 p.m. Tickets also can be purchased a half hour prior to each show. Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students grades 6-12, $2 for children 5th grade and under.