Kelsey Stalter and Katharine McLeod in "Dog Mom". Photo by Sorcha Augustine.

This summer, the adage of “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is being questioned by Florida Studio Theatre (FST) in the company’s latest production, Dog Mom. The play from Tate Elizabeth Hanyock is part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere—FST’s production stars Katharine McLeod as Liz, a recently divorced woman living in New York City. Just as her life seems to be coming apart at the seams, Liz—who is not a “dog person”—agrees to foster a dog after a chance encounter with a stray. Slowly, but surely Liz’s relationship with her dog brings her closer to the person she was always meant to be.

“The story reveals a lot about Liz, how nurturing the dog is and how she brings Liz back to her true self,” says Richard Hopkins, Executive Producer of FST. “The dog, who lives very much in the moment, is able to get Liz out of her head and be more present, to experience all the joys of life in the moment. The show is a comedy with a real heart to it.”

In Dog Mom, Liz and her dog are joined by Liz’s neighbor Nell and Nell’s bulldog Ruben. Portraying these animals successfully on stage is tantamount to selling the emotion and humor of the story. Instead of dressing actors in dog costumes, the “dogs” of Dog Mom are human beings, who speak English and dress in normal clothes. How they speak—such as incessant repetition or hilarious, misplaced expletives— mimic barking, and the style of their wardrobe are intended to be resemblant of how a dog looks.

“Just as when playing any other type of character, the actor has to give themselves over to figure out who this dog is. The neat part is that we use the English language to express the dog’s inner thoughts,” says Hopkins. “The second aspect of this is finding the degree of physicalization—how do you create the sense that you’re a dog when you’re standing on two legs? It’s a great acting challenge.”

Dog Mom, June 24-July 26, Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 North Palm Ave, Sarasota.

Kelsey Stalter and Katharine McLeod in "Dog Mom". Photo by Sorcha Augustine.

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