{Diane (Antoinette LaVecchia) pours on the charm to seal a deal on behalf of her client in The Little Dog Laughed.}

So The Little Dog Laughed is finally up and running - and if our first four audiences are an indication - we are in for a wild, wild ride.  First night out was a benefit last Sunday evening for Basic Rights Oregon, and Antoinette (who plays Diane, the ruthless agent) was so startled at how vocal the responses were that she got tickled a few times.  After one particularly long and hearty response from the audience, she said she literally had to bite her tongue to keep from cracking up.  It’s one thing to perform a role like Diane, where much of your interaction is with an audience.  It’s quite another to do so in the round, with audience members’ feet literally sticking out onto the stage from time to time.  It is a gas.

{Mitchell (Brik Berkes) and Alex (Dennis Flanagan) find an unexpected moment of connection after a hook up turns into something deeper.}

I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about how audiences would respond to the relationship between the two guys, and in particular the evolution of their passion for each other.  So far - folks seem to be taking the ride in stride.  They just get involved with the story - and walk out smiling.  Helen Raptis, the anchor for A.M. Northwest, interviewed Antoinette on Thursday morning - and went on and on about the ‘health and vitality’ of the two guys in the play.  LOL.

{What are you THINKING? Diane (Antoinette LaVecchia) tries to get her client off of the “raft made of rent boy”}

It’s also fun to hear the audience putting the pieces of the puzzle together along the way.  When one particular plot point was revealed on Wednesday night, I saw heads nodding and heard a few, ‘ohhhhhhhhhhhs’.  Very fun.

{Some romantic evening indeed. Mitchell (Brik Berkes) and Alex (Dennis Flanagan) prove that a kiss is not always just a kiss.}

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