With kids out of the nest and himself newly away from
suburban life, at the wrong job
and
in middle-aged crisis, Greg—away from work and on a walk in the
park—immediately bonds with Sylvia. As needy as the abandoned, adoring
dog, he
brings her home. Happy with their
new freedoms, upwardly mobile with her teaching career and project to teach
Shakespeare to urban youth, Kate doesn't want to resume caring for a pet.
Result of the conflict: a romantic triangle. As Greg spends less time on the
job and more with Sylvia, who soon takes over his and Kate's apartment, he's
less in tune with his wife. Their wrenching situation is clear when the three
sing "Every time we say good-bye, I die a little" on a split stage.
On one side, Sylvia's moping on the sofa Kate when present forbids her; on the
other, at the airport, the couple awaits Kate's business flight. It's not
certain whom Greg sings regrets at leaving.
Yet Sylvia's a comedy, and not only because of the
happy ending tacked on in a narrative obviously aimed at dog lovers. Author A. R. Gurney's device of having
Sylvia's thinking and talking out loud express the thoughts and feelings of man
and wife makes for some very funny dialog! Sylvia's alternates between syrupy
(toward Greg) and salty (at Kate and, with added ferocity and perhaps unnecessarily
vulgar language, at a cat). Obviously, the titled role
requires tour de force performance, and Katharine Abbruzzese fills the bill.
Physically too, whether licking, lunging, leaping, or emulating the result of
being in heat or having just been
spayed. Though it's difficult for
Kate to compete, Rita Rehn, dignified
even when distraught, elicits sympathy for her position and point of
view. In Warren Kelley's
countenance may be seen Greg's psychological extremes: being flattered by and
needing Sylvia's devotion yet wanting to re-connect with his wife and a normal
family life.
As samples of the stages Greg treds in his relationship
with Sylvia, there are returns to the park. There he meets Jeffrey Plunkett's
outspoken Tom, philosophic owner of Bowser, a dog Sylvia (in heat) takes to,
making Greg jealous. Tom also gets Greg thinking about his marital dilemna,
which they share. Plunkett's second (and funniest) role is as Kate's old
college chum, Phyllis, a society matron who visits her to help in a fund
raising project. Sylvia comes on to her and drives her to drink. Finally,
Plunkett, as therapist Leslie who's bisexual or half-man, half-woman or perhaps
acting both, identifies Greg's problem but balks at what Greg wants him/her to
do further. The counseling episode seems like filler and is correspondingly
Plunkett's least convincing, with
his voice pretty much the same as in previous roles.
Helping advance
characterizations are Nicole Wee's costume designs. Sylvia, for example,
enters in variegated brown shabby sweater and tights, gets groomed in puffy
pink like a poodle, and tries to compete as if a woman in svelte black with
rhinestone belt. Lauren Feldman's set features a generic New York skyline to
the rear and unfortunately requires a great deal of furniture moving to shift
from the couple's apartment to other sites. It works against director Kate
Alexander's otherwise fine pacing. Micheal Foster's lighting and John Valines'
sound are well designed.
Will Willoughby is Production Stage Manager for the 2
hour show with 15 minute intermission.