Back on stage: It’s A Dog’s Life at Milnerton Playhouse, May 2021

Back on stage: It’s A Dog’s Life at Milnerton Playhouse, May 21-29 2021

The Milnerton Playhouse is presenting, its first production, since the Covid 19 pandemic brought the curtain down. Its back-on-stage production is It’s A Dog’s Life and features The Milnerton Players – the resident drama society, based at the community theatre. It’s A Dog’s Life, is described as a “poignant yet humorous play.” The set has been constructed in a way that keeps the actors ‘safe”, on stage, physically/socially distanced from each other. Seating is according to Covid protocols – ensuring that there is ample space between patrons. Masks must be worn, at all times.

It’s A Dog’s Life is a combination of two plays – Dog‘s Life by Pam Valentine and Stories from the Pound, by Eitan Loewenstein. Adaption is by Sheila McCormick. She is also directing.  In both plays, the narratives revolve around eight dogs in a dog pound/shelter. The dogs want to be “rescued and taken to a loving home.”  The dogs have landed up in the pound, for numerous reasons. Each dog has a story and background. There is the “elegant lap dog, ill-treated pit bull, disciplined German Shepherd and bouncy pup.” The stories foreground the plight of pets who are unwanted and have no home – because of circumstances. The set has been constructed, using spaces representing kennels. These bubbles provide Covid compliant distancing for the actors. The dogs talk to each other – like humans. They are not garbed as dogs. Their clothes and accessories are emblematic of their individual personalities. In addition to the dog protagonists, there are two human roles: The warden of the shelter and a woman visitor looking for a dog to adopt. Beryl Eichenberger who plays one of the dogs, Paisley, reflects: “The dog’s conversations reflect their previous lives and loves and, while often sad, the humour makes the play an absorbing and touching production.”  The other dogs are played by Elsje Van Tonder, Werner Steffen, Chris Doran, Anh Thu Nguyen and Lance Laubscher. The warden is played by Gary Green. Alissa Nayanah plays the woman visitor.

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