Dog Act
Dog Act
by Liz Duffy Adams
Directed by Kelly O’Donnell
February 4-20, 2011
presented at CSV Cultural Center, Flamboyan Theatre
Cast: Becky Byers, Liz Douglas, Lori E. Parquet, Zack Robidas, Julian Stetkevych and Chris Wight.
Creative Team: Costume Design by Lara de Bruijn, Set Design by Jason Paradine, Musical Direction by Gerard Keenan, Sound Design by Elizabeth Rhodes, Lighting Design by Kia Rogers. Stage Manager: Cat Adler-Josem.
The Story: A theatrical, post-apocalyptic dark comedy, Dog Act follows Zetta Stone, a traveling performer, and her companion Dog (a young man undergoing a voluntary species demotion) as they walk through the wilderness of the former U.S.A. with their vaudeville troupe. They are heading toward a gig in China, if they can find it…and if they can survive to get there.
Baleful lighting (by Kia Rogers) and season-shifting crashes of unearthly thunder (sound design by Elizabeth Rhodes) are all that’s needed to evoke the dreary landscape; the actors’ cart, which also serves as their rough stage, constitutes the entire set (by Jason Paradine), and it’s spectacular.
Jon Sobel, Blogcritics
playwright Liz Duffy Adams has a few tricks that put her a notch above your average Brechtswept wasteland: A genuinely crystalline ear for rough, poetic dialogue; a handful of simple, honest themes–possibilities for kindness in a savage world, guilt as a luxury and a form of selfishness–in lieu of sprawling world-building; and, most crucially, the savage talents of the Flux Theatre Ensemble.
Scott Brown, New York Magazine
A brilliant blend of savagery and poignancy, the play succeeds in being humorous and thoughtful in equal measures, an elegy for humanity and a rollicking road story. A highly recommended experience.
John Peacock, Flavorpill
