Sylvia – Review
Listen & Be Heard - June 29-July 5, 2005 Volume 2, Issue 34

A Man, His Marriage and His Dog.
by paula mc connell

"A man and his dog have a sacred relationship," says Greg (played by Dan Monez) in A.R. Gurney’s very funny play Sylvia. Gurney’s show is now on stage at the Dreamweavers Theatre, located at 1325 Imola West, in downtown Napa. Greg and his wife Kate, (played by Debbie Baumann), are new empty-nesters‚ with their children having left for college. Both are entrenched in their own careers. They live in an upscale condominium in central Manhattan. Kate has recently completed a Masters degree and teaches English. She does not want further responsibility, least of all, a dog. Enter Greg with his newly found stray dog companion, Sylvia, delightfully played by Krisi Pilkington. Greg and Sylvia quickly bond, but Kate will have none of it. Therein lies the plot for what proves to be an outrageously comedic experience in theatre.

Sylvia is directed by Carla Poggemeyer. This marks her first ever attempt at directing. She shows inherent talent for it. For example, Poggemeyer does an excellent job of blocking (placing actors on stage) and has obtained the utmost from her characters. Pilkington and Monez both stand out in their renditions of ‘man and his dog’. Monez is particularly believable as he shows emotional remorse at the very thought of giving Sylvia away. In fact, this is some of his best work yet on stage at Dreamweavers.

Poggemeyer has also directed Pilkington to do some wonderfully delightful antics throughout the show; she shines as the loveable dog, Sylvia. Debbie Baumann does an adequate job in her performance as Kate, touting various bits of Shakespeare throughout the show. She might have exuded more passion when she punched lines from the old master, however.

One of the annoyances about this production is the profanity sprinkled throughout the script. It is gratuitous, boring and unnecessary. In fact, it  robs the show of its otherwise full family value entertainment. On a more positive note, Victor Davis does an outstanding job with the Set Design and changes. It is a sleek, elegant and functional set. Audio producer, Ed Fevang, has created some very believable sound elements, and Joe Adams has done nice work with the lighting design. All in all Sylvia is a well produced show. It is a highly spirited, fast paced and fun romp of comedic theater.

For tickets and directions to the theater, call: (707) 253-4493 or 255-5483. If you have never been to the Dreamweavers Theatre in Napa, be sure to give yourself enough time to find it. It is tucked in the back of a shopping center, a bit challenging to locate. Also,  parental discretion is advised.

From Listen & Be Heard - June 29-July 5, 2005 Volume 2, Issue 34

Biloxi Blues | Saturday Night Live | My Left Breast | Steel Magnolias | The Three Billy Goats Gruff You Can't Take It With You... So Leave It With Us! | Sylvia | Blithe Spirit | The Vampyre | Quiet Night Back to 2005 | Back to Production Archives