KAPA‘A — Forget Lassie, forget Old Yeller and forget Benji. There’s a new a new dog in town, and her name is Sylvia. She’s an adorable, energetic poodle-Labrador mix. We know this because she talks (and swears). In fact, she
KAPA‘A — Forget Lassie, forget Old Yeller and forget Benji. There’s a new a new dog in town, and her name is Sylvia.
She’s an adorable, energetic poodle-Labrador mix. We know this because she talks (and swears). In fact, she gives a lot of insight into the canine world in A.R. Gurney’s play “Sylvia,” which opens Friday at The WIT’s End at Coconut Marketplace in Kapa‘a.
The Women in Theatre production is directed by Sandi O’Shaughnessy, who starred in the title role during the Kaua‘i International Theatre run of the off-Broadway show in 1997. The production marked the first time a theater group in Hawai‘i performed the piece.
“I feel a big sense of accomplishment and pride for my cast,” O’Shaughnessy said. “I’ve seen them work together and grow so much as actors. It’s been very rewarding.”
The show was cast in November, and the group has been rehearsing since December.
“There are so many outrageous things that go on,” O’Shaughnessy said. “It’s extremely smart and very funny, but not arrogant. It’s one of those plays where you have to think about the future, but it’s also not kitschy. It’s really brilliantly written.”
Greg (Bard Widmer) and Kate (Deborah Cecil) are a typical middle-aged married couple. The children are off at college, and the couple has traded their suburban home for a New York City apartment. Kate is excited that her career is set to take off, and Greg is trying to deal with the fact his is winding down.
During a walk in Central Park, a stray Sylvia (Rebecca Hanson) latches onto Greg and he takes her home to the couple’s home. Kate is concerned about Greg’s blossoming adoration for Sylvia, thinking her days of taking care of canines and children are behind her. As Kate says, Sylvia is chewing a hole in the couple’s marriage.
The best part of the production is that the audience knows everything Sylvia is thinking, because she talks (and scratches her fleas, sniffs behinds and gyrates when in heat). She doesn’t dress like a dog. Instead, she flounces around with her permed hair and in comfy jeans and a T-shirt, or a hot pink top paired with a short skirt and kneepads — or a little black dress.
“Sylvia” illustrates what any dog lover already knows: we see our dogs as people.
While “Sylvia” is sure to be a hit with dog lovers, people who aren’t will find their views represented, too.
Kate and her dislike for Sylvia — or as Kate says, Saliva — is the closest thing to a villain you will get in this play. Even then, it’s hard not to sympathize with Kate’s plight.
The play was a huge success off Broadway when it debuted in 1995 with Sarah Jessica Parker playing the title role. It’s easy to see why — Gurney’s writing is clever. How many other playwrights can weave Shakespeare into a scene where Kate is cleaning up a dog mess?
Three other characters show up played by Brady Solis — an old classmate from Vassar, a philosophical dog lover and a marriage counselor named Leslie whose unorthodox therapy will leave audiences in stitches.
“For anyone that’s ever had a dog, or a pet for that matter, that loves an animal and loves their family, their wife, you’ve got to come see it,” O’Shaughnessy said. “Anyone who has raised kids and has the empty nest syndrome going on needs to come see it. Anyone who has raised their children, or women who have raised children and started their career later, they need to come see it. It’s very real, the experience among the characters.”
As an added bonus, Women In Theatre will present “Sylvia” in its new playhouse, aptly named The WIT’s End. The venue’s wood floors and exposed ceilings adds to the feel of a New York City apartment. Each seat is a front-row view of Greg and Kate’s living room.
Visit www.womenintheatre.org for more information.
• Andrea Frainier, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 257 or afrainier@ thegardenisland.com.
