Monday, May 20, 2013
'Stick your nose in it'
by Kirsten Akens
click to enlarge
Who doesn't love bacon, really? But give it to two pups, and this salty, succulent treat inspires a love ballad in the upcoming "Dogs: The Musical."
At 20-some minutes and with 14 characters plus a few extra cast members, "Dogs" is the longest and largest of the 12 shorts in this year's Theatregasm 4Ever, put on by Theatre 'd Art.
A tale of conflict among the "Mutzis," the "Mormadors" and the lap dogs, "Dogs" is really a musical about "sniffing out world peace," says 24-year-old writer Ariel Baty. The former three-year Theatregasm actress was inspired to write this story, in part, by Disney films and how "they humanize animals so much, they're not animals anymore." Her human actors, costumed in '80s street clothes, complete with dog ears and tails, will reflect this concept.
They'll also howl uncontrollably, smell each others' hineys, and sing an a cappella round using the lines, "Don't bark at me," "Sniff my," and "Bow wow, b-bow wow wow."
"It's ridiculous," Baty says, laughing.
And yet, a rehearsal sneak peek suggests it works — particularly with the rest of Theatregasm's two-hour-long lineup, which this year includes a second musical, "Dungeon Darvon: The Olde World Musical" (a Medieval-era operetta about a serial killer) by Hossein Forouzandeh, and "Zombie Love Story" by Angie Kinnett. Theatregasm will also debut "Plan A," a short that TDA co-founder Brian Mann spun off from his original full-length The New Plan. (Characters from both will be seen in The MasterPlan, late in the group's recently announced 2010-11 six-show season.)
Auditions for Theatregasm happened in mid July, and Baty says the group has been rehearsing four nights a week since then. It's a tight turnaround from auditions to performances — particularly when a performer's got to get the emphasis on the word "duty" correct.
Dogs don't sing "duty." It's "doodie."
