In Tom Misuraca’s gay romantic comedy In Dogs We Trust, a wonderful first date for the young couple of Darryl and Noah quickly sours on a Sunday morning at a West Hollywood dog park, when Noah brings the wrong dog back to Darryl. While it might be a deal breaker before what seems to be a promising relationship can blossom, an older Chester offers Noah some advice and hope, by sharing his own example.
Recalling how he met Bernard, his husband and long-time romantic partner, Chester tells Noah that they rendezvoused secretly and did not share any personal information because Bernard was still married to a woman. “But when we realized this was more than a fling, he told her everything,” Chester says, with Bernard adding, “And after she broke every plate in the house, keyed my car and slashed my suits, she accepted it.”
Chester says, “But it goes to show what relationships can endure. When you meet the right one, you know it.” Noah is not persuaded, relying on the old maxim about apples and oranges. Before Chester has a chance to respond, Bernard, whose memory is gradually losing out to advancing dementia, says. “I can’t eat either any more. Oranges upset my stomach and apples hurt my teeth.” Chester tells Noah, “Then you get to watch each other fall apart,” adding an optimistic note, “but that won’t happen to you and Darryl for a long time yet.”
While Noah might not be convinced, this earnestly bittersweet exchange serves up the pivot in a story of counterpoints which are resolved neatly but also with enough credibility to endear even a naturally jaded individual to cheer on young and older couples alike.
Misuraca’s pithy comedy’s premiere at the Meanwhile Park outdoor theatrical venue is perfect for a summer evening, aided by generously heartwarming performances and plenty of well-timed comedic delivery. Directed by Tito Livas, the play, as noted in a preview at The Utah Review, was selected by a jury for the Meanwhile Park Playwright Prize from among more than 170 submissions.
Meanwhile Park: Photo Credit: Jacob Harrison.
In Dogs We Trust suits the creative brief for Meanwhile Park to every word and letter. Meanwhile Park is a theatrical project produced by Jeff Paris, who has created a professional theatrical space to produce top-quality works in the backyard of his Salt Lake City home. Misuraca’s play follows last summer’s inaugural offering, From June to August, a one-act romantic comedy by Matthew Ivan Bennett and directed by Jason Bowcutt. Accounting for both productions, Meanwhile Park has quickly coalesced into a performing arts institution for chamber theater, in which the audience experience is enhanced by a salon society setting on an intimate scale. There is a pre-performance reception where drinks and snack boxes are served. It has become an effective little nexus for networking in the creative community.
The actors handle their character duties with well-chosen inflections. As Darryl, James Wong can be sassy and mischievous in one moment and stubborn and even cutting in the next, especially when he wonders how Noah managed to mistake Josie (the dog) for another. Trayven Call as Noah brings in a nice blend of warm-hearted generosity and coyish innocence while leavening it with a brand of sarcasm that is restrained but still occasionally pierces through with just enough arrogant intelligence. Brien Keith’s rendering of Chester is a perfect counter to Blayne Wiley’s Bernard. Keith lets out just enough frustration and impatience with the steady cognitive decline in Bernard but nevertheless demonstrates his unconditional love and unfailing attention as caregiver. Misuraca frames this tenderly but never risks allowing it to creep even near the territory of mawkishness. At one point in the dog park on another Sunday morning, Chester tells Noah, while glancing at Bernard, that it is “hard to keep rolling when you’re old and tired. … And practically alone.” Noah responds, If what I see around here is any reflection of the rest of your life, you’ve already got a support system. And I’d be happy to help, too.” Making sure the sentimentality does not permeate the air, Chester responds, “And in a flash, you and Darryl will be looking back on a shared life and wondering how you never murdered each other.”
Not to be overshadowed, Brenda Hattingh Peatross as Starrr, the New Age social activist, and Cami Rozanas as Amber deliver their own bounty of well-played moments. Peatross switches effortlessly between wacky cluelessness and ingenious resourcefulness. Rozanas, left homeless after the car she was living in was towed from the park, crafts a deft deadpan delivery with an uncanny knack for disrupting a person’s space by being a “close talker.”
The set, predominant in its purple hues, features an oversized fire hydrant. The outdoor stage in the backyard of Paris’ home has been fitted with enhanced theatrical lighting. If there was one quibble, actors should always be mindful of projecting in this unique outdoor setting. In summary, Meanwhile Park has proven to be one of Salt Lake City’s most well-executed experiences for outdoor theater on a scale that heightens one’s appreciation for chamber theater.
Tickets are available for evenings shows, which continue daily July 18 through July 21. Please note that this is a private ticket event and is open to those 21 and older. For more information, see the Meanwhile Park website.