BWW Reviews: THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED at Desert Rose Playhouse

The Desert Rose Playhouse, in Rancho Mirage, California, is presenting yet another fine production - its last show for the 2014-15 season. Douglas Carter Beane's THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED is an edgy comedy which raises serious questions and which contains serious moments, especially in the second act. It is well-acted and superbly staged. I recommend this show for adults with one caveat: It contains brief moments of full frontal male nudity, and is therefore not suitable for everyone.

The story concerns agent Diane (played by the show-stealing Ms. Joey English), who is trying to get her nice-guy friend and on-the-cusp-of-the-A-list client, Mitchell Green (John Ferrare), the right vehicle to hit the big time. Mitch claims to be straight, but keeps hiring male prostitutes, the latest of whom is Alex (Timothy Douglas), who is not above a little pocket-rifling. The steel-spined Diane believes that Hollywood is not ready for a gay heartthrob superstar because fangirls only squee over straight actors, hence she does her best to keep Mitchell in the closet. Mitch must confront his sexuality, he and Alex must confront their growing feelings for each other, and Ellen, Alex's part-time girlfriend (Allison Feist), must confront the shallowness of her life. Meanwhile, Diane must remain above the fray, while controlling events with the determination of Scarlett O'Hara, the finesse of the Phantom of the Opera, and the humanity of Hannibal Lechter.

The script is talky and full of bon mots - an R-rated descendant of a George Bernard Shaw play. Diane, especially, has the opportunity to fling clever barbs at everyone else on the stage, as well as at non-characters to whom she speaks. She makes a promise to a playwright that she has no intention of keeping, saying that he has her word "as an entertainment professional" and tells Mitch that introducing a male lover as his assistant would have the same effect as an actor's taking his mother to an awards show to prove he isn't gay. Although Mitch and Alex have larger roles, Diane, who spends her time scheming, cajoling, schmoozing, and doing whatever she can to advance Mitchell's and her own fortunes, is the linchpin to the story. Without her, the others would bumble along stuck on a hamster wheel and the denouement would be very different. (Don't bother trying to guess the ending - I'll wager that almost no one can succeed).

Ms. English takes advantage of every opportunity to milk her over-the-top role. She is a natural comedian who turns in a brilliant performance. Although there are no weak links in the cast, both Mr. Douglas and Ms. Feist (unlike Ms. English) seem to have problems deciding how to handle the small space - Ms. Feist seems to overplay her part in spots in a manner more suitable to a larger theater, while Mr. Douglas seems to over-adjust to the small space by intermittently adopting a tone that is too conversational. John Ferrare, as Mitchell, switches effectively between comic acting and drama. The only time I felt he fell short was in the highly emotional scene near the play's climax, which concludes with Mitchell's decision to summon Diane to solve a problem. During that scene, the three on-stage characters bare their souls to each other and to the audience, and we see some of them in a new light. I felt that Mr. Ferrare was a bit too matter-of-fact early in that scene, resulting in an abrupt u-turn in Mitch's reactions - I'd have preferred Mitch's emotions to build more slowly as he digests the significance of news he has just heard.

Jim Strait, artistic director of Desert Rose Productions, directed the play and served as set and sound designer. He makes excellent use of the small area, managing to carve out multiple spaces for different scenes. The only major piece of scenery for Mitch's hotel room is a bed - an effective way to focus attention on the matter of Mitch's conflicted sexuality. Mr. Strait is ably assisted by Phil Murphy (lighting design), Steve Fisher (stage manager), and Mark Demry (costumer). Paul Taylor, Mr. Strait's husband, produced the show.

The one big problem with THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED is the brief full-frontal male nudity, which, in my opinion, does not advance the story; instead, it distracted me from paying attention to key pieces of dialogue. The playwright has stated his belief that only their nudity forces Mitch and Alex to confront their sexual preference, but I respectfully disagree. Directors forego the nudity only at their peril; in 2008, when Chicago's About Face Theatre (like Desert Rose, a respected venue for gay-oriented productions) performed THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED with actors stripping only to their underwear, playwright Douglas Carter Beane and the company licensing the script came close to revoking the license.

Despite the discomfort that some individuals, myself included, experience when they see naked people on stage, and the few minor problems described above, the actors, director, and crew have put together a funny, thought-provoking show that deserves a wide audience.

THE LITTLE DOG LAUGED will be presented through Sunday, May 17, 2015, on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. The Desert Rose Playhouse is located just north of Frank Sinatra Boulevard, near the Emperor Buffet, at 69-620 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. The Box Office opens at 4 p.m. before evening performances and at noon on Sundays. Tickets are $30 for the evening performances and $28 dollars for matinees. Tickets are available at the box office, by phone at 760-202-3000, and by Internet at www.desertroseplayhouse.org. There is no service charge for internet or phone orders.

Desert Rose Playhouse will present a new revue during the summer. It plans to produce Tony Kushner's ANGELS IN AMERICA during the 2015-16 season (Desert Rose's fourth year) as its annual gay heritage production.

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