Sylvia is something to 'Arf!' about at Blackhorse Theatre this month
By Anne Ritchie

Every dog has its day, and currently, Sylvia is making a star performance at Blackhorse Village Players, playing until April 12.

Blackhorse puts on the dog with a comedy that will leave you laughing and begging for more. And whether Sylvia is a pet peeve or a best friend, she brings out star performances in her owners and all whom she meets.

The program cleverly features pets personified rather than the cast member.

As Sylvia, Kierston Drier is leader of the pack and rarin' to go. This is evidenced, not only by her hilarious reaction to her favorite word, "Out", but to the enthusiastic love she showers on her owner Greg. It's hard work to be as loveable as a dog, but Drier earns her keep admirably, drawing applause and laughter in every scene.

Roderick Cook offers a love-struck performance as Sylvia's owner Greg. He is stunned into submission by the lost mongrel, and much against his wife's wishes, Sylvia bounds through the doggy door and into their lives. Cook bounces between being devout spouse or dog's best friend with so much talent and energy he provokes chuckles, sighs, whines and on occasion, teary eyes from both woman and beast.

Brian Neale plays Greg's doggy friend. It's Tom who explains a dog's life to Greg, complete with an education in self-help, how-to, and cautions about do-it-yourself. He plays up his role with a swaggering macho manner that leaves no doubt he has bonded with his canine Bowser, the name befitting owner as much as dog.

Whether she appears as marriage therapist or art lover, Annie Neale portrays the definitely undoggy type of human. Neale offers a prim and nearly proper performance. However, stepby step, nudge-by-nudge, her professional demeanor is knocked out of kilter by the antics of Sylvia and Greg. Neale's temper rises in tandem with the laughter, and Sylvia grabs it and runs.

While the men remain in doggy heaven, Greg's wife Kate (Diana Crabtree) doggedly pursues her dream of life without Sylvia. Crabtree sensitively plays the down-to-earth, idealistic English teacher who wants to bring the best man has to offer to the world. In her world, Shakespeare outranks Fido every time, yet to have the two worlds viciously rival each other adds to the laughs in a highly entertaining evening.

The runaway comedy was produced by Sylvio Couture, assisted by Cheryl Phillips and directed by Lynne Kherli. The setting deserves its own measure of applause: ingeniously, when the dog wants out, a couch becomes a car, a coffee table transforms to a park bench, and Sylvia scampers up the aisle to romp with Bowser.

One never knows what can happen when man meets his match in Sylvia. Enter the world that bonds man to his best friend with humor, imagination and love at Blackhorse until April 12.

Call (905) 880-5002 for ticket information.

And lest one believe the relationship is limited to solely "man," this writer freely admits to the benefit of sharing life with a dog, a best friend who keeps feet warm, doesn't hog the covers at night, and doesn't bark or snap as much as some humans.