VISIT THE SHARON PLAYHOUSE FOR COMPANIONSHIP AND COMEDY WITH "SYLVIA"

For companionship and unconditional love, you have to look no further than the furry four legged friend of man, the dog. A puppy can chew a large hole in your heart as well as in your favorite shoe. But not everyone is an animal lover, willing to feed and water, scoop and groom, as Greg discovers when he brings home “Sylvia” to his unsuspecting and unwelcoming wife Kate.

Until September 7, The Sharon Playhouse will be setting out doggy treats and water bowls for this adorable comedy by A. R. Gurney. Jen Cody is affectionate, cuddly and cute, curious and contentious as Sylvia, the dog Greg, Jonathan Walker, chooses to love and wife Kate, Jennifer Van Dyck, resolves to hate. Sylvia, however, elects to ignore the tension and plants her paws firmly on the forbidden and off limits sofa. Be forewarned, Sylvia has a severely challenged potty mouth and says exactly what she feels in four letter to twelve letter statements. Ages 12 and up please.

Greg, enduring problems at the office and suffering from becoming an empty nester, finds comfort and solace in Sylvia’s slobbering displays of adoration. Kate, with a challenging job of teaching Shakespeare to junior high school students, would prefer to relegate Sylvia to her proper place, the pound. Sienna Brann interacts with all three as she plays comic roles as Tom and Leslie, a fellow dog park visitor and a therapist even while she gets up close and personal with Sylvia (much to her dismay) when she visits their apartment.

How Sylvia performs the greatest trick of all, winning over Kate, is revealed in this well acted play, directed with playful and caring touches by Colin Hanlon.

For tickets ($25-55), call The Sharon Playhouse, 49 Amenia Road, Sharon at 860-364-7469 or online at www.Sharonplayhouse.org. Performances are Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

There’s no need to sit up and beg, for Sylvia is eager to put her head on your knee and please you to pieces. Just be sure to bring along a few doggy bisquits for treats when she does her collection of tricks.