Theatrical Tendencies' first show of the coming season is The Little Dog Laughed--a comedy from a few years back written by Dogulas Carter Beane. A playwright who has also worked on at least one Broadway musical (the book for Xanadu) has also worked in Hollywood (he wrote To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.) It's the Hollywood end of his experience that he seems to have drawn on for his 2006 comedy The Little Dog Laughed. The small ensemble comedy is excellent material for an emerging theatre company like TT. They've recently announced the small ensemble they'll be working with. It's a young cast with plenty of new faces Here's a look:
David Franz plays Mitchell. Mitchell is an aspiring Hollywood screen actor. Mitchell got a BFA from UW-Whitewater before moving off to Philadelphia for a couple of years. Never saw the guy perform before. This appears to be his first show after a return to Wisconsin.
Allie Beckman play Mitchell's agent Diane. As the agent of Mitchell, her biggest challenge is dealing with his "slight recurring case of homosexuality." Beckamn got her BFA from Wesleyan University in Illionis. She's from Milwaukee, though . . . and comes to this production after a brief 9-months spent in New York. Prior to appearing here, she will appear in Fresh Page productions' Tennessee Williams show at the beginning of September. Never saw her perform before and here she is in two shows in two months. Cool.
The man who so memorably played a serial killer in Alchemist's Murder Castle is playing a rent boy. The talented Nate Press plays Mitchell's latest love interest . . . a guy named Alex. Nice to see a familiar face in a cast almost entirely populated by returning Midwestern BFA grads I've never seen perform before.
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Finally, Karissa Lade plays the rent boy's girlfriend Ellen. She' fresh from completing her BFA program in musical theatre from Viterbo.
Theatrical Tendencies' production of The Little Dog Laughed runs October 7 - 22 at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center. For ticket reservations, visit TT online,
