Sylvia Press Reviews

 (Excerpts from the Article)

 Greg, beginning a serious mid-life crisis, brings home Sylvia, a frisky blond he picked up in the park. And he’s worried what his wife will think. As well he should.

You see, Sylvia is a dog.

Vermont Stage Co. opened a hilarious and even touching production of “Sylvia,” the 1995 A.R. Gurney comedy, last week at the Flynn Center’s FlynnSpace. Running through May 9, it is directed by Mark Nash in his last production as artistic director of the Burlington professional company.

What ensues is unexpected, touching and funny.

Vermont Stage’s excellent production benefits from a fine cast. Sylvia, in particular, played by Nash’s wife Kathryn Blume, is simply priceless. Blume’s witty and sardonic performance, physically as well as verbally, kept Thursday’s sold-out audience in stitches.

Despite there being a “dog” on stage, John D. Alexander nearly stole the show — in drag — as Kate’s haughty Vassar classmate. Alexander proved side-splittingly funny, and he was nearly as entertaining as the dog-loving weirdo Tom and the genderless therapist Leslie.

Vermont Stage’s “Sylvia” proved most entertaining.

You could go to the Vermont Stage production of "Sylvia" because it's a sweet, amusing exploration of man's relationship with man, and with man's best friend. You could go because you love dogs, or because you love theater. You could go for the novelty of an actress playing the part of a dog. Or you could go because, well, how many times do you get to watch an actor scratch another actor behind the ears?

In other words, "Sylvia" has a lot going for it. The play by A.R. Gurney that opened Wednesday at FlynnSpace somehow manages to be a little silly and a little ponderous at the same time, but for the most part it's an endearing trip through the life of a man made dysfunctional — or, depending upon your point of view, functional — by the arrival of a female mutt in his life.

(Read the Full Review Here)

It’s easy to understand why animal owners anthropomorphize their pooches and pussycats. Attributing human characteristics to animal behavior makes sense if you value hard-to-find qualities such as loyalty and unconditional love. Pets make better people than many people do.

Playwright A.R. Gurney unleashes this pro-pet premise in Sylvia (1995), which features a talking dog (played by a woman) in the title role. Can Man’s Best Friend become a more amiable companion than a wife of 20-plus years? In Vermont Stage Company’s current production, director Mark Nash and a frisky foursome of actors enthusiastically embrace the tale’s delicious waggishness. Gurney’s tasty script abounds with kibbles of wit, and the well-trained cast pounces deftly on ’em all.

(Read the Full Review Here)