The cast of ‘The Little Dog Laughed.’ (Photo courtesy Uptown Players)
The Uptown Players 2022 season will close with Douglas Carter Beane’s 2006 drama, The Little Dog Laughed. The show opens Friday and runs through Aug. 28 for a total of seven performances at the Kalita Humphreys Theater.
The play tells the story of two lovers fighting against the world to keep their passion for each other alive. Mitchell, an up-and-coming actor, and Diane, his agent/producer, pretend to be a couple to avoid negative press about Mitchell’s homosexuality. The plan works until Mitchell falls for Alex, a young male prostitute, who changes Mitchell’s views about relationships and convinces him to love, much to the dismay of Diane who tries desperately to avoid a scandal.
The play takes aim at the entertainment industry, sex and sexuality, and the way happy endings “should” look. Beane’s story is a satiric look at the challenges of being true to yourself when that truth isn’t what works for everyone else.
Robin Armstrong serves as the play’s director.
“The theme of The Little Dog Laughed is ‘To thine own self be true’,” she said in a press release. “Mitchell has a choice, be with the person he thinks he loves, or be the person his fans and agent loves.”
The cast includes Kevin Moore as Mitchell, Elizabeth Kensek as Diane, Carson Shofner as Alex and Shyama Nithiananda as Ellen.
The production is stage managed by Renee Dessommes. The design team includes scenic designer Donna Marquet, lighting designer Amanda West, costume designers Suzi Cranford and Breianna Barrington, properties designer Jane Quetin, and sound designer Brian Christensen.
For tickets, visit UptownPlayers.org.
– From staff reports
