The B St. Theatre’s annual New Comedies Festival routinely produces fresh, creative, clever, and wonderfully hilarious works. The winner of the 2024 Festival is now playing to sold-out audiences and rabid fans after its much-anticipated opening last weekend. Playwright Tate Hanyok’s Dog Mom, in its National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, is the treat we all need.
In a month dedicated to being thankful, Dog Mom is a good reminder to us all of what is important in life. Simple pleasures such as feeling the sun on our face, going for a walk, chasing new scents (some better than others), and a dog’s love make our lives richer. Liz (Elisabeth Nunziato) learns these and more as she’s given something she doesn’t think she wants-a dog (Tate Hanyok). In the ensuing chaos, she meets an overbearing neighbor, Nell (Amy Kelly), and her eager dog, Ruben (Jason Kuykendall). Encounters with strangers (Greg Alexander) turn into teachable moments and drive home the point that we should “enjoy the process as much as the reward.”
Predictably, director John Lamb skillfully leads a perfectly cast B St. Company who are at the top of their game. The camaraderie between the five actors is palpable, and they each bring a special appeal to the stage. Kelly and Kuykendall are exquisitely paired as a slightly unhinged duo, but one that couldn’t get any funnier. They’re intense, a little scary, and I want them to be my neighbors. Nunziato and Hanyok are on the other side of the spectrum: quietly licking each other’s wounds and healing. They’re sweet, relatable, and so, so lovable. Nunziato can elicit tears from the most hardened soul, and Hanyok is everything good you’d expect a golden retriever to be. It’s a laugh-out-loud funny and inspiring story that will stay with you long after you leave the theatre.
Dog Mom plays at the B St. Theatre through November 30th. Tickets may be purchased online at BStreetTheatre.org, at the Box Office at 2700 Capitol Avenue, or by telephone at (916) 443-5300.
