by Paula Kaplan-Reiss
Who doesn’t adore the unconditional love of a dog? During the pandemic, many dogs were adopted, and dog-walking became a safe and enjoyable pastime. Such was the inspiration for Leigh Strimbeck’s original play, Dog People, having its world-premiere at Great Barrington Public Theater. Having last seen Strimbeck as Amanda Wingfield in Bridge Street Theater’s production of The Glass Menagerie, I see the breadth of her remarkable talents.
The intimate Liebowitz Theater depicts an outdoor park with a bench, a streetlamp, large rocks, and flats with silhouettes of trees with real leafless trees leaning against them. Designed by John Musall, the setting is inviting for dogs and their humans.
Sheila Bandyopadhyay (Jesse/Betty) and Chris Tucci (Avery/Attila) play the owners and each other’s dogs. While trying to remember whose dog is whose can be confusing, watching both actors instantly flip from human to canine is amazing and surprisingly believable. We soon learn that Jesse and Avery were former lovers who meet up in the park with their dogs through happenstance.
Jesse, a lawyer, is the more assertive of the two. She seems to be battling anger and regret and has strong control over her Pitt-Mutt she calls Atilla, played by Tucci. Atilla, the presumed tougher breed, acts more like the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. He is obedient and takes no risks.
Ironically, Avery, a gentle man, has a Golden Doodle, Betty, played by Bandyopadhyay, who is hyper, aggressive and rarely listens. We watch the relationship between both dogs, on ‘leashes,’ develop as Betty encourages Attila to romp and play and join her vision of the world: ‘Kill or be killed.’
Watching both actors play dogs is a visual delight. We see them shake their bottoms, pee on benches, sniff everything, and roll on the ground. The physical energy to play these roles is enormous. Their voices and vocabulary change; their instincts take over.
Sheila Bandyopadhyay as Jesse and Chris Tucci as Atila. in Leigh Strimbeck’s “Dog People”, directed by Judy Braha, produced by Great Barrington Public Theater. Photo Credit: GBPT/Kat Humes. 
Sheila Bandyopadhyay as Jesse and Chris Tucci as Avery in Leigh Strimbeck’s “Dog People”, directed by Judy Braha, produced by Great Barrington Public Theater. Photo Credit: GBPT/Kat Humes. 
Chris Tucci as Atila and Sheila Bandyopadhyay as Betty in Leigh Strimbeck’s “Dog People”, directed by Judy Braha, produced by Great Barrington Public Theater. Photo Credit: GBPT/Kat Humes. 
Chris Tucci as Atila in Leigh Strimbeck’s “Dog People”, directed by Judy Braha, produced by Great Barrington Public Theater. Photo Credit: GBPT/Kat Humes. 
Chris Tucci as Avery and Sheila Bandyopadhyay as Jesse in Leigh Strimbeck’s “Dog People”, directed by Judy Braha, produced by Great Barrington Public Theater. Photo Credit: GBPT/Kat Humes. 
Chris Tucci as Atila and Sheila Bandyopadhyay as Jesse in Leigh Strimbeck’s “Dog People”, directed by Judy Braha, produced by Great Barrington Public Theater. Photo Credit: GBPT/Kat Humes. 
Avery longs to reunite with Jesse, and the story behind their breakup unfolds. We learn of a dog they shared and lost, weddings they attended, hidden substance abuse and feelings of guilt. Following this part of the story is sometimes difficult, but critical to understanding the plot. Never knowing when the humans will convert to dogs keeps the audience on their toes, going from tragedy to comedy and back again. Ultimately, the humans are engaged in all the feelings and complications of their relationship with each other. With their dogs, they express pure love and need.
As dogs, nothing is overthought. Dog play, dog sex, dog digs, dog hunts…oh to be a dog. Much to the distress of Betty, her owner Avery is a vegetarian. Her biggest fantasy is eating meat. Attila wants to satisfy her needs in every way.
Lighting Design (Matthew E. Adelson) and Sound Design (Jacob Fisch) play important roles in the switch from humans to dogs. Change in light accompanied by a brief musical interlude precedes each transformation. In barely a beat, Avery becomes Attila and Jesse embodies Betty. Director Judy Braha brings considerable experience to directing two actors in a four-character play. An incredible challenge is helping each actor find their inner canine, without their veering into caricature. Both actors succeed.
Costume Designer George Veale dresses the Golden Doodle in golds and yellows and the Pitt-Mutt in tans and browns. Both wear red sneakers. With no costume changes, their outfits work for Jesse and Avery as well.
Every dog owner will recognize themselves in Jesse and Avery and will delight in the imagined conversations between Attila and Betty. Playwright Strimbeck captures the love affair owners have with their dogs, and the struggles humans have with each other. Her play is wonderfully different. In Dog People, people play dogs; dogs play people. No one is dressed like a dog, but there is no mistaking the dog for a person, or the person for a dog. No easy feat for the two-footed. Scamper on over to Great Barrington Public Theater. Your tails will be wagging.
The Great Barrington Public Theater production of “Dog People” by Leigh Strimbeck, directed by Judy Braha, runs May 31-June 16, 2024, in the Leibowitz Black Box Theatre in the Daniel Arts Center, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, MA. CAST: Sheila Bandyopadhyay plays Jesse and Betty; Chris Tucci is Avery and Atila. CREATIVE TEAM: Set Designer John Musall; costume designer George Veale; lighting designer Matthew E. Adelson; sound designer Jacob Fisch.
Reservations can be made on the Great Barrington Public Theater website, or by calling the box office 413-372-1980.