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HCC Actor’s Guild has once again delivered a performance that seems well above the expectations for student theatre. In Dog Sees God, there is an ensemble of well-crafted performances delivered on a creative and clean set through interesting and appropriate blocking choices. If you have not yet paid a visit to their intimate black box, now is the time.

Dog Sees God takes the characters from “Peanuts” and reimagines them as teenagers, teenagers who deal with bullying, homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, sex, death, suicide, and a host of other real-world problems. It is a dark and tormented world that they navigate, and these young performers convey that pain and confusion with touching realism.

The male members of this cast are especially talented and really make a huge impression. As CB, Tim Torre comes out blazing and gives a very raw and intense performance. As Beethoven, Devin Michael gives a complex and nuanced performance that is intensely believable and extremely controlled. Also demonstrating amazing restraint is Connor Shea as Matt. Even though Shea’s character has a huge personality and wild fits of rage, Shea shows incredibly mature restraint in never pushing too far. Josh Marshall as Van is far less restrained and it works with his loud, goofy, comic-relief character.

While the females are a little overshadowed by their male counterparts, they are able to hold their own. Tricia Ragan has some especially strong moments as CB’s sister, and Lizzie Detar creates a very consistent character for Marcie. Andie Cappelletti’s Tricia is a little forced, but it works with her character who is a mask-wearing mean girl. As Van’s Sister, Laura Andon-Campos struggles to find the right balance between intensity and realism. As a result, she flounders in creating a clear character, but demonstrates potential for the future.

Overall, this is a definite showcase of strong acting performances in a very intense script. It is important to note that this script is filled with adult language and adult situations, so audience discretion on the topics of the script is advised. However, for fans of this kind of intense theatre, this is an excellent production.

Cast

• CB: Tim Torre
• Beethoven: Devin Michael
• Van: Josh Marshall
• Matt: Connor Shea
• Marcie: Lizzie Detar
• Tricia: Andie Cappelletti
• CB’s Sister: Tricia Ragan
• Van’s Sister: Laura Andon-Campos

Production Staff

• Director: Miranda Litchford
• Producer: Ben Fisler
• Stage Manager: Sarah Tweed
• Technical Director/Scenic and Props Designer: Robbie Elliot
• Lighting Designer: Ryan Johnson
• Costume Designer: Linda Bratcher
• Booth Operator: Leanna Wheatley

Disclaimer: HCC Actor’s Guild provided a complimentary media ticket to ShowBizRadio for this review.