Marriage Unleashed

In Somerset Valley Players’ production of ‘Sylvia,’ dog ownership gets in the way of marital bliss.

By: Megan Sullivan
   After 22 years of child raising in the suburbs, Greg and Kate have finally become empty nesters in their new Manhattan apartment. Kate welcomes a fresh start, along with all of the opportunities that arise in her teaching career. That freedom quickly dissolves, however, when Greg comes home with a beautiful, sassy, younger female… dog.
   "Greg is a middle-aged New York City businessman kind of questioning the path his life is taking him," Tom Johnston says of his character in Somerset Valley Players’ production of Sylvia, running through Aug. 5. "He takes off from work early one day, goes to the park and Sylvia jumps in his lap and his life changes."
   While the part-lab, part-poodle brings a sense of excitement to Greg’s life, Kate is less than enthusiastic about their new house guest.
   "Kate has this great life now, she and her husband live in the city together, it’s their time to be a couple and her time to have a professional life as well," says Heather Giarrusso, who fills the role and also is the show’s producer. "All of a sudden he brings home this thing that’s going to require taking care of and it limits their freedom because they can’t go out all of the time."
   Sylvia doesn’t only limit whether the couple can attend a dinner party together or take in a show at the theater, but to Kate becomes a rival for Greg’s affection.
   "She sort of feels jealous because he’s giving more attention to Sylvia, saying how beautiful she is, calling her sweetheart, all of these things that the wife hasn’t heard in a long time," says Dawn Calvert, who has great fun playing the street-smart canine.
   Kate’s jealousy peeks through when she refers to the dog as "Saliva" and "Her Holiness" in conversations with Greg, or picks fights with the dog when she sits on the couch or steals her shoes. It’s hard not to sympathize with Kate when her husband constantly takes Sylvia out for long walks and sweet treats in the city instead of taking his wife out.
   Although all of her energies are focused on getting Shakespeare in the New York City public school curriculum, Kate still needs someone to come home to after a day’s work. Unfortunately, it seems Greg has reached his mid-life crisis and devotes most of his attention to Sylvia. He longs for something "real," something his job can’t fulfill, and Sylvia’s unconditional love revitalizes him. As the story unfolds, one wonders whether Sylvia is really a dog or actually represents a good-looking younger woman. Tension increases between Kate and Greg and Kate fears their marriage is falling apart.
   "Greg becomes more and more obsessed with the new excitement that he kind of loses track of his job and everything else he was getting bored with," Mr. Johnston says. "He starts to make some questionable decisions along the way, which drives Kate nuts, but he learns a lot about himself and what’s important."
   As soon as Ms. Calvert heard about the role of Sylvia, she knew she had to try out for the part. "When I first heard about this show, I thought it was a dog that played Sylvia," she says, "but when I heard a woman played Sylvia, it went off in my head and I was like, ‘I want that role.’"
   Don’t expect dog ears, whiskers or a fluffy tail as part of Ms. Calvert’s ensemble, though. Aside from a dog collar and the occasional red leash, the actress mainly relies on mannerisms to portray the pooch. "I’ve had like five dogs throughout my life and I think about traits they have," she says. "For the most part, I’m very human in this show, but I work in little things that dogs do in certain situations."
   As Sylvia, Ms. Calvert performs tricks for treats, excitedly jumps into Greg’s lap when he comes home and even sniffs the crotch of one unlucky guest.
   Offering their two cents on Greg and Kate’s situation — and adding a dose of absurdity — are Tom, Phyllis and Leslie. "Tom is kind of like a Cliff Clavin of ‘Cheers,’" says Teresa Von den Steinen, who plays all three characters. "He’s the loveable know-it-all, has a story for everything kind of character. And Greg keeps bumping into him at the park.
   "I also play Phyllis, who is a snooty socialite, very materialistic kind of woman and she’s an old college friend of Kate’s. But she’s a recovering alcoholic.
   "Then, I play Leslie, who is a psychiatrist," she continues. "Leslie is androgynous, so you’re not quite sure if I’m a man, and you’re not quite sure if I’m a woman. It’s kind of like Pat from ‘Saturday Night Live.’"
   When playing Tom, Ms. Von den Steinen wears a baseball cap, big aviator sunglasses and an oversized leather jacket. Phyllis is ultra feminine in a black pencil skirt and clingy red top with matching pumps. And Leslie is, well, hideous: greased back, slick straight hair, thick eyebrows and glasses, loafers, khaki pants and a shirt buttoned up to the neck.
   "All three characters are actually very fun," Ms. Von den Steinen says. "They’re different, but there’s subtle similarities there."
   Jak Prince directs the play, which was written by A.R. Gurney and first produced in 1995. An animal lover for years, Mr. Prince was very happy when the Somerset Valley Players decided to take on Sylvia. The group has partnered with the Plainfield Area Humane Society for the production, offering two free tickets to any upcoming SVP performance to anyone who adopts a pet during the run of Sylvia. The humane society will display information about its pet adoption programs and have pictures of pets currently available for adoption.
   "It’s not just a show about dogs, it’s a show about relationships," Mr. Prince says, "and how people grow and how their relationships grow and flourish and change.
   "It teaches us that everyone has a yearning for something — the grass is greener on the other side — and then you find that really what you wanted was right there."
Sylvia continues at the Somerset Valley Playhouse, 689 Amwell Road (Route 514), Hillsborough, through Aug. 5. Performances: Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. Tickets cost $14, $12 seniors; (908) 369-7469; www.svptheatre.org. Plainfield Area Humane Society on the Web: www.petfinders.com