Review: The Little Dog Laughed
The Intiman Theatre production of The Little Dog Laughed, by Douglas Carter Beane and directed by Fracaswell Hyman opened August 20.
This is a comedy that offers something for everyone. It’s a play about Hollywood, where the gay characters, along with others, all have to make choices. It’s about the drive, the desire for stardom and how it doesn’t get much better than that.
You could fill in another star’s names from the headlines today for Mitchell played wonderfully and handsomely by Neal Bledsoe. He has to choose between love & happiness and what that means to him. He’s in the closet and not at all sure about coming out. Enter Alex, played by Quinlan Corbett, a nice looking rent boy who has a sometime girlfriend, Ellen (Megan Hill). The narrator for this tale is Diane, the cutting sharp, razor sharp Hollywood agent. Christa Scott-Reed, is just right for Diane, who is smart and not above using others to get what she and her client wants and needs. She becomes the catalyst for all the action that occurs with the others in the play.
The staging is wonderful from all the sets used to the interaction of the actors in one particular round robin moving stage. This play gives us, far from the entertainment world, a peek of the powerful high stakes for agents. It also, makes you wonder what choices would you make in the same situation. Then throw in a bit of nudity and sexual content and perform it all to the music of Cole Porter and you’ve got yourself a winner.
The Little Dog Laughed plays through September 13, 2008 at the Intiman Theatre with tickets ranging in price from $10 to $48. Patrons aged 25 and under can purchase tickets to any performance for $10, pending availability. A limited number of $20 rush tickets may be available for purchase 15 minutes before curtain time, pending availability. The ’Round Six Happy Hour is Friday, September 5 at 6pm with pre-show food and live music. Visit www.intiman.org for more info.
– Ethel W.
