MVT's 'Sylvia' is a charmer
By John Berger
Special to the Star-BulletinWHEN a married man's best friend and favorite companion is his dog it's easy to anticipate a marriage in jeopardy - especially when the dog in question is as appealing as Kristine Altweis' portrayal of the canine lead in Manoa Valley Theatre's "Sylvia."
A.R. Gurney's play stands or falls on the believability of the human playing the four-legged charmer. Altweis wins the audience over instantly and is never out of character thereafter. Altweis has come out a winner twice in the Po'okela Awards. She eclipses all of her previous work here.
Her leading man is winner too. MVT producing director Dwight Martin (Greg) returns to the stage after 18-plus years to portray Sylvia's master. He gives a perfect performance as a well-intentioned fiftysomething who fills an empty spot in his life with the stray.
Greg and his wife have moved into a city apartment after their children left for college. She has an ambitious plan to use rap as a vehicle for introducing inner city teens to Shakespeare; Greg finds his white-collar job no longer fulfilling. The more time he spends with Sylvia the more resolute he becomes about rearranging his life, even if it means losing his job.
Sylvia is so adorable it's hard to blame him for becoming attached to her. Greg's wife, Kate, dislikes the dog on sight. Susan Park portrays the designated villain. Credit director Karen Brilliande with maintaining a bit of balance in the conflict. Making the wife a two-dimensional dog-hating materialistic yuppie bitch would work as broad comedy but leave most adults uneasy.
Mark Gilbert handles three supporting roles with skill. He appears first as a working-class dog owner who warns Greg of the dangers of falling in love with a dog. His other appearances are comic show-stoppers.
Alexander C. Torres (costumes) defines Sylvia's appearance with a variety of items; his Sylvia-returns-from-the-vet outfit is a masterpiece. Darren Hochstedler (set/lighting) and Ronald Perry (sound) add the other key components of this perfect production.
Parents should note that "Sylvia" addresses adult issues with bursts of crude language. Sylvia's reaction when she sees a cat under a car is hilarious - and consists primarily of four-letter epithets.
What: SylviaWhen: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 1
Where: Manoa Valley Theatre
Tickets: $10-$20
Call: 988-6131
