REVIEW: Bickford Theatre’s ‘The Little Dog Laughed’ gets points for courage

BY STUART DUNCAN

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

N.J. THEATER REVIEW

The Bickford Theatre is celebrating its 15th year and is still struggling to find an audience. It doesn't help that within short distances Playwrights Theatre appeals to the adventurous theater-goers who look for new, often controversial works and The Shakespeare Theatre offers the Bard and other classics. Both are fully professional.

The current production at The Bickford, "The Little Dog Laughed" will not help the dilemma. The play, written by Douglas Carter Beane, was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Play when it played in New York and won a "Best Actress" Award. But the work will certainly test the current Bickford audience. Give Bickford artistic director Eric Hafen (who also directs this show) full points for courage.

Diane is a Hollywood agent (no last names — it's a modern play.) She is extremely adept at navigating the choppy waters of Tinsel Town. In fact we meet Diane as the lights come up and realize she will probably be our narrator. She is set against Jim Bazewicz's contemporary set which will whisk us to New York and Los Angeles via Abby Hoke-Brady's clever lighting design.

We learn that Diane (played with great zest by Liz Zazzi) has a rising film star, Mitchell Green (Mark Irish) as a client (rising film stars apparently use full names.) It is Diane's challenge to keep Mitch from "coming out of the closet" so that he can achieve his full stardom.

Now it turns out that Mitch has just met a "new friend" via an escort service (a $200. A date "friend) Alex (Scott Tyler) is young and charming. He also comes with a girlfriend, young and beautiful, named Ellen (Cynthia Fernandez.) That's the cast — four of them — enough to threaten Mitch's career — or get pregnant — or come to a happy, Hollywood ending.

A good cast: Ms. Zazzi plays Diane with just the right amount of savvy and desperation that most agents actually exhibit. Mark Irish handles the role of Mitchell with the proper hint of stardom. Cynthia Fernandez is a fine Ellen with a touch of intelligent grace on top of her good looks. And Scott Tyler comes very close to stealing the evening, mostly by allowing you to forget the flaws in the script.

Playwright Beane has entrusted much of the questionable action and dialogue to Alex. He sets him up as the one character in the play who might be honest. But he also has the character to steal money from Mitch's wallet early in the first act and pocket a $10,000 check in the second act. And the Hollywood ending with everybody happy at the final curtain strikes one as particularly cynical. I won't give you the actual events — see the play for yourself. The Bickford needs you.

"The Little Dog Laughed continues at The Bickford Theatre, 6 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown through Feb. 13.Thurs. at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Fri. at 8 p.m.; Sat. at 8 p.m.; Sun. at 2 p.m. Tickets $40, less for groups, seniors, students. (973) 971-3706.