Newcity Stage

Theater, Dance, Comedy and Performance in Chicago

In a Dog-Eat-Dog World, It’s Not Easy Being Human Ego Death Theatre Collective’s sure-handed production of “A Dog’s House” shows the impact of a pet’s violent death on the owners’ relationships.

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by Hugh Iglarsh
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Two women sit on a beige couch; one comforts the other who leans on her shoulder. In the foreground, a missing person flyer, wine bottle, and two empty glasses sit on a table. The scene feels tense and emotional.

Ego Death Theatre Collective’s “A Dog’s House,” with Kaitlyn Gorman and Hattie Hodes/Photo: Sam Bessler

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Can a dog be guilty of murder? Legally and philosophically, no—of course not. Dogs are creatures of instinct, not human-style reason and conscience. But when Michael’s and Eden’s hitherto gentle rottweiler, Jock, unexpectedly attacks and kills their neighbor’s toy poodle, Phoenix, the violence is very real, as are the personal and social consequences. And while one can’t very well talk about the motivation for such a “crime,” the play skillfully plumbs its meaning, in terms of how it mirrors the inner life of those who bear ultimate responsibility for the gruesome incident—i.e., Jock’s owners, the human beings who have shaped the dog’s world and behavior.

Micah Schraft’s “A Dog’s House” is a thought-provoking, darkly engaging play. And as helmed by Ego Death Theatre Collective’s co-artistic director, Carol Kelleher, it makes for a riveting if not especially comfortable evening of theater. The play begins right in the midst of the action and maintains its intensity for ninety uninterrupted minutes until the curtain falls on the show’s well-executed, dramatically inevitable final moment.

A woman holding a glass of red wine and a man in a light blue polo and white cap sit on a couch, smiling and chatting. Snacks, a bottle of sparkling water, and a glass of ice are on the coffee table in front of them.

Ego Death Theatre Collective’s “A Dog’s House,” with Hattie Hodes and James Lewis/Photo: Sam Bessler

The company’s press release refers to “Dog’s House” as “shockingly funny.” The emphasis is on shocking, as the play reveals a savage underside to things normally thought of in a benign, rosy-hued way, such as pets, neighbors and romantic relationships. First, there’s Jock’s predatory savagery as he chomps on the helpless poodle just before the play begins. Then there’s the emotional savagery that simmers within the strained relationships between the play’s two couples, and also in the way that Michael and Eden avoid coming clean to Bill and Nicole about what really happened to poor little Phoenix. There’s a suggestion here that civilized values constitute the thinnest of facades over brutally selfish, primitive forces. As Bill shouts at one point to the coyotes he mistakenly blames for his dog’s disappearance, “You want the animal kingdom? I’ll show you the animal kingdom!”

The only relaxed, good-humored moments here are between Jack Hradecky’s Michael and James Lewis’ Bill, and between Kaitlyn Gorman’s Eden and Hattie Hodes’ Nicole. The intra-couple scenes, which take up most of the play, are rife with suppressed or overt conflict. Bill and Nicole bicker at a “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” level of cruelty, but at least they’re honest with each other and the world. Michael and Eden, on the other hand, are covering for Jock, and their guilt festers, eating away at their connection to each other. Other, non-pet-related secrets between them come to light as they deal with the question of what to tell the neighbors and find out how willing and able each is to sustain a face-saving lie.

Under Kelleher’s sharp, propulsive direction, the cast of four shines, each performer succeeding in bringing to the surface the shadowy, subterranean aspects of their characters: Michael’s loneliness and vulnerability, Eden’s coldness and need for control, Nicole’s mixed sadness and anger, Bill’s tactlessness and aggression. Lewis’ performance is particularly noteworthy, as he endows Bill with a darting, unpredictable energy that makes him both appealing and real.

Three people are in a dimly lit room. One man sits on a couch with his head in his hands, looking distressed. A woman in a blazer and a man in dark clothes stand nearby, watching him with concern.

Ego Death Theatre Collective’s “A Dog’s House,” with James Lewis, Kaitlyn Gorman and Jack Hradecky/Photo: Sam Bessler

Nathan Stark’s bland, utilitarian living-room set nicely establishes the play’s non-specific milieu, a vaguely suburban space where neighbors converge for a bit, then go their separate ways. Sam Bessler’s lighting design also deserves praise, especially for a scene late in the play when Michael delivers a long, searingly intense monologue to his dog (who is only heard, never seen, thanks to Jason Pavlovich’s convincing sound design), with his face bathed in the glow of a solitary footlight. It’s a strikingly dramatic effect in a show full of strong moments.

If Ego Death Theatre Collective–an emerging ensemble just now finishing its second full season–continues to embrace this production’s spirit of honesty, simplicity and directness, it will have a bright future within the Chicago storefront theater scene. As for right now, theatergoers looking for a play that has no obvious good guys and bad guys, just flawed human beings in an imperfect world forced to confront their deep-down nature, should check out this show during its limited run.

Ego Death Theatre Collective’s “A Dog’s House” runs through June 14 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 North Lincoln. Tickets are $29 and are available at greenhousetheater.org.