The Marist College Club of Theatre Arts (MCCTA) is bringing a new, exciting genre of theatre back to the Nelly Goletti Stage with their experimental piece Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead.
“When CB’s dog dies from rabies, CB begins to question the existence of an afterlife. His best friend is too burnt out to provide any coherent speculation; his sister has gone goth; his ex-girlfriend has recently been institutionalized; and his other friends are too inebriated to give him any sort of solace. But a chance meeting with an artistic kid, the target of this group’s bullying, offers CB a peace of mind and sets in motion a friendship that will push teen angst to the very limits. Drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion and sexual identity collide and careen toward an ending that’s both haunting and hopeful.” – Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
The purpose of this show is not only to entertain audiences, but to present and educate them on these controversial issues that are often stigmatized or ignored by society. Christine Crawfis, an established director who works locally, was brought in to work with this cast and crew to give them a fresh perspective and an overall new experience within the theatre club.
“Working with Christine has been amazing.” said sophomore Alex Polzun who will be playing the role of Matt (Pig Pen). “I’ve acted in shows directed by both Matt (Andrews) and Jim (Steinmeyer) over the last two years and have learned so much, but it’s been great working with a new director and learning her style as well.”
This production marks the return of experimental theatre after a five year hiatus, and has been performed on the Marist stage previously, directed by Marist alum Brian Apfel.
Senior Austin Christensen, who will be portraying the character of Van (Linus), commented on the creative and tactful approach that must be taken when writing and acting in a project like this one:
Without having any concrete idea of what their creator would have envisioned for the future of the Peanuts character, I think that the approach of this play is very well done. By taking beloved characters, the playwright makes the issues that adolescents face everyday far more real than they might have been in a different theatrical environment. We see the characters onstage as Charlie Brown, Lucy, and everyone else as opposed to their made- up names, and that makes the situations seem a bit safer to address and we’re more willing to relate to them than we might be.
“It pushes the boundaries.” said Polzun about the content of the play. “It is a huge step outside the box and it’s unlike anything we have done this season. The best part is that it’s not only the actors who are getting a new experience with this piece of theatre, but our audience members too.”
Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead will be performed in the Nelly Goletti Theatre on the following days:
Thursday, April 14th at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, April 15th at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 16th at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 17th at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets can be reserved through the following link:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2530521
Please note that there are only 80 seats for each performance.
This performance is not suitable for children.