The Little Dog Laughed
The Tony-nominated comedy The Little Dog Laughed, written by Douglas Carter Beane, and directed by Ed Decker, is about a gay B-list Hollywood actor who could become an A-lister if he only stayed in the closet.
Diane (Michaela Greeley) Mitchell’s controlling best friend, manager, and mother figure, has arranged for him to be the lead in a big movie. Though, apparently, in Hollywood everybody knows that a gay character must not be played by a gay actor or the movie will flop. Go figure.
Despite the somewhat weak premise, the play is packed with hilarious situations. And that’s what matters most in a comedy. The dialogue is smart and sharp; the characters, believable; and the funny scenes are delivered with great comedic timing.
But the contrast between indecisive Mitchell Green (Matt Socha) and fiery Diane stands out the most. He is unable to own up to his own desires, while she comes on and off the stage with a roar, always getting what she wants. Their chemistry shows.
Diane is devoted to Mitchell’s career to the point that she is happy to pass for his girlfriend at an award ceremony. Yet to her dismay, Mitchell has fallen in love with an elusive hustler, Alex (Justin DuPuis).
And so now he’s considering coming out.
The problem for Mitchell is not only his career. Alex, too, is in denial about his sexuality. Though he sleeps with men for money, he considers himself straight and has a girlfriend on the side, Ellen (Danielle Perata).
The whole cast is dynamic. Particularly Matt Socha, who presents Mitchell Green’s ambivalence with skill. He portrays Mitchell as insecure, overly ambitious, devoted and romantic at the same time (at some point insist that Alex sleep with him without having sex).
Mitchell surely hurts his friendship with Diane when he chooses to come out of the closet and pursue a relationship with Alex. But Alex has gotten Ellen pregnant and has no option but to ask Mitchell for abortion money.
This ignites Mitchell’s insecurities. And he calls Diane.
As expected from her, she bursts into the room in her red high-heels, and solves things with Machiavellian detachment and mathematical precision. It’s a nice way to wrap up a complex story. Still, you get a sense that funny and well-drawn characters were trapped in a somewhat artificial world. But because that world makes you laugh, you don’t really care too much.
The Little Dog Laughed plays at New Conservatory Theatre Center through Nov 8 as part of 2009-10 Pride Season. For more information visit the theater’s website
Watch this clip from the production:
