Since COVID-19, I have been surrounded by dogs.
While I did not have one of my own, three out of the five families in my family-friend group got dogs during the pandemic, all of whom I became extremely attached to. Due to my personal relationship with these dogs, I make it a point to consume as much content revolving around the loving canines as I can.
When I walked into Silver Company’s production of “The Book of Dog,” I had no idea of the emotional journey I was about to go on.
The two-hour play follows Marvin (senior Grant Koch), a mutt who lives with his mom (sophomore Emma Heisz-O’Neil) and siblings in a public park. After getting separated from his pack, Marvin meets Olivia (sophomore Hadley Brown), a girl whose father has a strong aversion to dogs. Marvin and Olivia grow up and form their own relationships with the world.
Coming off the large-scale production that was “The Addams Family,” I had mentally lowered my expectations. For many of the actors, they had to balance both shows and only had four weeks to focus on the play, but that was the furthest thing from apparent. The central cast and ensemble were committed to their characters, something that is apparent as the actors are on stage for the entirety of the show.
The show took hold of the actors. Koch and understudy Landry Woolrige embraced the character of Marvin. The actors possessed a strong sense of aloofness in the first act of the show that evolved into compassion as we watch the dog get older. Despite not having a dog myself, I was attached to Marvin and his child-like personality.
While Marvin connected to Olivia and her father Elison (senior Joshua Nagaram), I was enamored with the character of Jackie (junior Landri Vallecillo), Olivia’s mom. Throughout the show, it felt like she was the reason the story moved along. Her initial compassion led to the family adopting Marvin and continued through the end of the show, consoling the people around her. Both Vallecillo and her understudy, sophomore Molly Crowder, were a perfect fit, capturing different sides of the character. I loved how Vallecillo represented a working mom who was not expecting this dog to join her family, and how Crowder allowed Jackie’s tender side to shine.
Regardless of who is playing the roles, this show would not be complete without the ensemble. From the minute I walked into the black box, I felt like I was at a park surrounded by little kids. Almost all of the ensemble members came up to me with a variety of questions, asking me to play hopscotch, tic-tac-toe or just listen to their story. Every time I looked at an ensemble member, there was a different expression on their faces. They stole the show while they were on stage.
The only gripe I had was that there were a few aspects of the storyline that felt incomplete. We weren’t given the chance to see Olivia come into her own, nor could we explore her health issues and how it impacted her relationship with Marvin.
This performance was extremely heartfelt. The cast was in tune with one another and had a level of synergy that transpired through various levels. I can confidently say that this play is a “paw-some” performance.
