The Fire Rose production seems pleased to affiliate the performance with the Michael Chekhov technique. Technique, schmechnique, we say; good character parts are hard to find, and good character actors even harder. This is meaty material, mice and all. Alex Hyde-White's George shows us a man hovering on the brink of destruction, and Mike Rademaekers seems nothing short of born to play the role of the hapless and ill-fated Lennie. His edgy giggle and ever-flexing grip let viewers define suspension of disbelief. A group of capable players lend their hands in support. Granted, where there are Mice, there's cheese, and some moments of this two and a half hour show earn their unintended guffaws. And while we like to see theatre with attitude, we don't like our box office attendant-slash-hostess to have the attitude; a cheeky "I guess I'm supposed to welcome you to our show, so, like, um, welcome," announcement prior to the metaphoric curtain-up left a bad taste in our mouth and smacked of a saucy middle school class president making a snide speech at assembly. Give her the proverbial hook, get the show started, and give us another reason to remember that LA has good theatre. more ›