The Dog Show: Come. Sit. Stay.

 

Gizel Jiménez, A.J. Shively, Jordan Matthew Brown and Angela Reed. Photo credit: Jeremy Daniel

At The Dog Show: Come. Sit. Stay, currently playing at The Triad Theater, man’s best friend takes center stage. Besides the four humans performing nearly two dozen canine-oriented monologues in the 75-minute show, animal companions (and their owners) can watch all the furry drama unfold from Pooch Seats, complete with a soft pet bed and metal water bowl.  

The comedy celebrates all the wonderful personas our four-legged friends embody as the actors (Jordan Matthew Brown, Gizel Jiménez, Angela Reed and A.J. Shively) take turns manifesting different breeds, from the militant German shepherd police dog, Rambo, to the famed collie, Lassie.

 

All monologues are delivered from the animal’s perspective, with the actors including physical traits when possible. Especially adept is Jiménez, with chocolate brown eyes and a soft smile that beguiles the audience as she recounts the reasons behind the day’s messy "accidents" in the house. Shively, a Tony-nominee for Paradise Square, also elevates the doggie humor as a Great Dane whose legs become entangled in a stool, mimicking the glee and confusion only an over-excited hound can provide.

Gizel Jiménez. Photo credit: Jeremy Daniel

The fast-paced show pairs the actor's performances with images of their alter animal on a screen, reinforcing that each story comes from a dog’s perspective. Playwright David Javerbaum’s experience as an executive producer and head writer of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” shows as he infuses a razor-sharp wit into bite-sized, easily digestible dialogue. The parade of pets covers an assortment of topics: from the virtues of floor chicken to the human penchant of dressing up their furry friends (something that should only occur on Christmas and Rosh Hashana).

Ably directed by Richard Israel (Violet, “Big Little Lies”), each monologue invites hilarity and then smoothly moves into the new one. While the vignettes highlight familiar doggie experiences that pet owners will appreciate that special warm resonance dogs give their humans sometimes gets lost in all the laughter.

The limited engagement runs at The Triad Theater (158 W. 72nd Street) through November 29. Pooch seats (two available each show) are $129 and include one chair and a dog bed. Tickets are $49 to $99. For a performance schedule, see https://www.dogshownyc.com/.