by Danielle Storley
“Men are Dogs,” a realistic romantic comedy by playwright Joe Simonelli, was the most recent production by PSC’s Performing Arts Department. Director Rodney Whatley brought the somewhat adult-themed play to life, with the actors starring in roles that required wisdom way beyond their years.
The play centers on a psychiatrist, Cecilia Monahan (Ashley Bliss), a woman with many self-help books but who, in reality, doesn’t have the slightest clue about relationships. She is her own worst enemy in relationships: afraid of commitment because of her father’s abandonment. Luckily, she finds solace in her own singles group and with the help of her nosy, boisterous mother.
“I was pleased to see Cecilia, not as this organized, uptight woman, but a confused, stressed person that we all hide behind our facade. Her character displayed many emotions that revealed that person in all of us,” said attendee Kristy Olmead, a PSC student.
While many of the actresses were enjoyable, the audience instantly fell in love with Allison, the ditsy blond played by Brittany Mulcahy.
“Brittany is a true actress and never missed a beat,” said attendee Rachael Peters. “My husband and I come to almost every show and this one was a real crowd pleaser.”
Between scenes, the play used songs to set the mood, such as “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy, “All You Need is Love” by The Beatles, and “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar.
In one provocative scene, a male character was left with a black eye as he was slapped, jabbed, kicked, and punched by the women in the support group. The victim was Tony Rumson, the part-time bartender with a Casanova attitude, played by Ryan Ward. The roles of the men and women were reversed from the norm, as men fell victim to the women’s dislike.
The play was about how we live our lives in relation to the opposite sex. Many phrases were repeated throughout the play that illustrated this, but one was constantly thrown at the audience: Carpe Diem or as the overbearing mother Rose Monahan would humorously say, “Carpe Denim.”