By Shari Barrett
Those of us who have ever lived with a beloved canine companion (I hesitate to use the word “owned” since I question who really owns whom) certainly know the amount of time spent happily together sharing human concerns and feelings with no hope of a canine verbal response. Yes, you can get conversation buttons for the floor and train a dog to “speak” a few words, but how can a dog possibly share their innermost joys, concerns, or fears through just a few words? Hence, I encourage you to “go for a ride” to see the world premiere comedy Go Play! written and directed by Barra Grant at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A. that will get you thinking, laughing (a lot), and shedding a few tears remembering how attached we are to our canine buddies and what they really think of us.
Produced by Pageant Productions, the cast features seven outstanding character actors, three paired with their distinctly different canines who take us along as they visit Central Park, a vet office, three very different homes, and social settings where their treatment varies from being totally loved as an equal life partner, a devoted emotional support animal, or being totally ignored in a home full of control issues. Given the amount of laughter in many situations, no doubt you will see yourself and your canine companion mirrored in the best and worst of times.
The first bonded pair are Ralph Cole, Jr. as Tyrell, a very flamboyant Broadway musical star with wild gray hair and Chris Schellenger as his Westminster award-winning and whip-smart Poodle Zeus who often break into song with accompanying howls or share quotes about life from movies watched together. But Zeus is fighting an ear infection which turns into something more serious. So, after a vet appointment the two head outdoors to celebrate life by dancing and singing to “My Blue Heaven” (or was it “Put on a Happy Face”?), allowing us witness a thoughtful and totally entertaining celebration of life thanks to Grant’s sensitive direction and the skill of the actors. A nice touch was the two enjoying the vet’s cannabis lollipops at the end of the scene!
Lisa Joffrey portrays lonely-hearted Arlene with Janine Venable as her incredibly cute pink-tutu-dressed Yorkie Lucille who struts her sexy stuff to not only warm Arlene’s heart but gain the attention of other dogs in the park. For even though all three are fixed, Lucille admits “there’s nothing wrong with wanting to cuddle” just as she does with Arlene when they are in bed or watching TV on the couch. But when Arlene starts dating a cantor from JDate who forbids allowing Lucille in the bedroom with them, you can guess which one gets to stay in the apartment.
And Susan Huckle portrays Rose, the new-to-New-York submissive wife who talks endlessly to keep herself company while searching for a human friend to really care about what happens to her. Peter Pasco runs around as her ignored and ill-mannered Mutt Drac who reaches out to the other two dogs in the park for companionship. It’s heartwarming to watch as Rose and Arlene become friends, especially as Rose starts learning Yiddish (very badly) after being invited to Arlene’s temple one night. Has Rose finally found her chosen family? But poor Drac (named by Rose’s equally ill-mannered son) does not fit into how she decides to live her life after her husband leaves. Drac’s heartbreaking loneliness will pull at your heartstrings and then make you sigh will relief when he tells Lucille that cuddling with her in the park “feels like home,” something the poor mutt has never really known before.
Rounding out the cast is Scott Golden as the Multi-role Man, morphing between dog walker, vet, an ultra-orthodox cantor, and Rose’s brutally controlling husband. Each character is so distinct in presentation, it’s easy to forget just one incredibly talented actor is portraying all of them. Costumes designed by Lisa Lupo perfectly contribute to the illusion.
With so many different locations, scenic design by Jerry Buszek requires time-consuming background changes, each a beautiful piece of black and white art work. But the need to change the large canvases on a rotating valance between scenes is often distracting and could be handled much more quickly with the use of projected backdrops. Especially lovely is Emmy-winning composer Mark Adler’s score, which includes perfectly-timed barks to lessen the effect of long scene changes while adding a bit of canine whimsy to the production.
Playwright and director Barra Grant shares in program notes that Go Play! was inspired by the amount of talking she did with her childhood teddy bear, knowing that he talked to her. “Then I got a dog [who] talked to me too,” even though her parents told her to “cut it out.” But knowing how “human beings hear their animal’s talking as barking,” she was ready to prove just how much dogs have to say about the behavior of their human companions, resulting in a hopeful visit into the amazing world of imagination.
Go Play! performances take place through November 2 on Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. as a visiting production at the Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles 90025. Tickets start at $40, available at https://goplayonstage.com/ Free onsite parking.
Last week I shared information about Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song at the Morgan-Wixson through October 12. Since I have now seen the production, I encourage everyone to attend to experience Michael Mullen’s tour-de-force performance as Arnold Beckoff, a talented drag queen named Virginia Ham, who attempts to find true love in his real life. Written by Harvey Fierstein, we follow Arnold as he falls in love with Ed (Harrison Smith), a bisexual man who leaves him to marry a woman, to dating Alan (Stephen Gregg), a handsome and much-younger male model who suffers a tragic end. Soon after, Arnold must deal with his visiting mother (Paige Morrow Kimball) who begs him to date a woman and make her a grandmother.
Poor Arnold just can’t seem to catch a break – until he decides to adopt David (Arnaldo Andrés), a gay teenager in the foster care system, as his son. In the short time they have been together, the two have bonded and respect each other, giving Arnold a chance to have real love in his life. But when Arnold’s former lover Ed reappears after separating from his wife Laurel (Amanda Meade-Tatum) and wants to win Arnold back, how can he when David’s jealousy threatens to get in the way? Scenes between the David and Ed trying to prove they are the most important man in Arthur’s life are riveting, delving into the true nature of love, possession, and jealousy.
Mullen moves through every human emotion from moment-to-moment with a natural ease that brings authenticity to every moment he is onstage. And given the two and a half hours run time, his masterful ability to remember all those lines will amaze you almost as much as his brilliant performance.
Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song directed by Jeffrey Lesser continues at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica through October 12 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Adults $32, Seniors & Students $27, available online at www.morgan-wixson.org or by calling the box office (310) 828-7519. Easy, free parking is available a block west of the theater, with many excellent restaurants within walking distance. Parking is also available at meters and in the neighborhood; please read parking signs carefully.
