Pete Gurney knows dogs. Years ago the late
Boston playwright fell hard for a Lab pup and brought it home, much to the
chagrin of his wife, who was not consulted. That’s pretty much the plot of SYLVIA
(playing through April 21st) except to say that the sensational
comedienne Shana Dirik plays Sylvia in Michelle Aguillon’s delightful
production for Theater Uncorked.
Dirik is all pup: She’s saucy, impetuous and
desperate to be loved. And she’s not above flashing those irresistible puppy
dog eyes at her master (Allan Mayo) when his wife (Kim McClure) opposes the
adoption. Gurney’s script is smart, literate and just a bit shameless when
Sylvia does, well, what dogs do with other dogs.
See the production for Dirik’s outrageous
performance and for David Anderson’s nifty hat trick: first as a macho, nosey,
know-it-all dog owner, then as a ritzy Vassar alumna, and lastly, Anderson tops it off as a lunatic shrink who invites patients
to choose whether they want a male or a female therapist, as (s)he can be
either!
Believe it on not, the hilarious script has
something serious to say about connecting with nature… and our need to bond
with animals.