Sylvia

Critiqued by Holly Bartges

January 21, 2009

Littleton Town Hall Arts Center sits in the midst of Canine Camaraderie with its current production of Gurney's beloved Sylvia. As long as dogs and humans see eye to eye, Sylvia will retain its "belovedness".

Under the creative direction of Pamela Clifton and a fearless talented cast, Sylvia opened with a happy Woof, big brown eyes, and a grand appreciation for our beloved for-footed friends. In all actuality, it takes one quite some time to gain an appreciation, much less a grand one.

Cast of Sylvia in Town Hall Arts Center's production of Sylvia. photographs by Sam Trojanovich, and Beverly Larson

Once living on a farm, once surrounded by animals of all shapes and sizes, Greg and Kate moved to a high rise apartment building across from Central Park in New York City after their children were grow. Happy as a clam in six feet of water, Kate, deliciously portrayed by Margie Lamb, concerns herself with saturating junior highs with Shakespeare. Her deliciosity, spiced with an overabundance of hot peppers, has no problem whatsoever speaking her mind.

Greg, on the other hand, can't saturate anyone with anything. Played by Robert Michael Sanders, Greg's current upside down life gets shoved aside. Without saying much, Sanders reveals Greg's internal thoughts, as he lets Greg take over. He and his boss Herald, fight constantly over Greg's future. Following a fight, Greg seeks sanctuary in the park one afternoon to be greeted by a beautiful girl by the name of Sylvia. She can't tell him her name, but it's engraved on a tag on her collar. Sylvia of the four-legged variety with a happy tail worms her way into Greg's heart. Something in him comes alive, and she follows him home. Hannah Marine Hines takes on the life of Sylvia with doggy enthusiasm, graceful moves, close to choreographed deliberate dog behavior. Just knowing Hannah, you know she has what it takes to bring Sylvia into the realm of believability. She's stunningly perfect for the role, and as much fun as a warm puppy. Charles Schultz once told us Happiness is a warm puppy, and Hannah fits the bill. Devoted to Greg, she thinks he's God. He talks with her; he listens to her, he's as eager to get to know her, as she is to know him. A sharp slap sends her running to a corner, mouth and face drooping, eyes welling with tears, whining, "That hurts". He promises never to slap her again.

Cast of Sylvia in Town Hall Arts Center's production of Sylvia. photographs by Sam Trojanovich, and Beverly Larson

Kate's eyes bulge with horrific disbelief when she arrives home to find a dog, an over eager one in the apartment. No she can't stay. No, Greg can't keep her. Well, OK, she can stay until Greg finds her a good home.

Greg, smitten, is already deeply in love. In spite of the arguing persisting between Greg and Kate, Lamb and Sanders give their characters a four-dimensional twist. There is no question they do love each other, but they have come smack up against a source of irritation, and they aren't afraid to speak out.

In the park, Greg meets the intellectual book absorbing knowledgeable Tom, put together masterfully by Tupper Cullum. Tom feeds Greg vital information on how some men transfer inner thoughts turning a dog into the "other woman".

Kate runs into an old friend she hasn't seen in quite some time, Phyllis, a New York socialite, also played by Cullum who incredibly has the New York socialite syndrome nailed to the wall. He's a scream to listen to, and hysterical to watch.

Tension over Sylvia leads Kate and Greg to a psychiatrist, Leslie, who deliberately, for the sake of the patients, could be either a man or a woman. Cullum takes this character to another level of perception, and magical laughter. Cullum brilliantly attacks all three roles.

Town Hall held a contest, for people to enter pictures of their dogs as they thought what Sylvia actually looked like. (I happen to know the real Sylvia is a Black Lab-Great Dane mix, whose real name is Majeska). Amazingly, Sylvia's personification is written so well by Gurney, a great many think their dog is Sylvia, which, after all, is the way it should be. The winner of the contest, following difficult decisions was Nellie, owned by Kitty Knight and Richard Slavik. At the end of the production, to see her is to know her, but you have to see the production first.

Cast of Sylvia in Town Hall Arts Center's production of Sylvia. photographs by Sam Trojanovich, and Beverly Larson

The set design by John Sullivan sits New York City at the feet of Town Hall, with the suggestion of an upscale living space deliberately planned by Kate. After a farm, and kids, and animals, this neat tidy, attractive apartment would give her a new lease on life, a place where a professional absorbed in kids and Shakespeare could think and plan and dream, until the disappearance of a red ball brings her up short.

As Greg absorbs Tom's worldly wisdom, he learns to deal with the calamity with his boss, his love for Sylvia, his mid-life crisis, and his commitment to Kate.

Gurney's Sylvia remains a popular play from community theatres to the pros. It speaks to human nature, with humor, tedious and tender moments imbedded with a few growls that come anywhere but from the beloved four footed loveable being.

Not to be missed, even if you are a cat lover, a guinea pig admirer, or sing with the birds. Clifton and her incredible cast and crew have produced a magnificent show that can only do Gurney proud, and feed the audience with a tickling sense of well being.

Sylvia
By A. R. Gurney; Directed by Pamela Clifton