Cast and crew members at the Sunflower Theatre promised a hilarious show with a message as the play “Sylvia” debuts Thursday in Cortez.
“It’s a show where most people will come away from being reflective and feeling good,” director Peggy Tennyson said.
Tennyson described the play as a three-way love affair between a husband, wife and dog. Greg and Kate are a couple living in New York City. Greg finds a dog, Sylvia, in the park and takes her back home, but Kate is not pleased, and comedy ensues.
The first off-Broadway production of the play starred Sarah Jessica Parker as Sylvia, and Matthew Broderick played Greg when the play moved to Broadway.
The Sunflower version stars James Campuzano as Greg, Kim Welty as Kate, and Julia Buff as Sylvia. Set pieces are limited and more is left up to the audience’s imagination, and there is more focus on the characters, Welty said.
“People will relate to (Greg) and his dog,” she said. “This show really makes you think about your role with your pet.”
Buff said the show is about recognizing your priorities in life, but there are lots of laughs.
“It will be hilarious,” she said.
Campuzano said the role of Greg resonated with him. Tennyson has been very helpful with character development as the play’s director, he said.
“Getting this training here has been great,” Campuzano said.
Crew members Dawn Russell and Darlene Denison said Tennyson does a good job of pulling everything together. Russell said it’s cool to see that Cortez has something like this going on.
“It’s been really fun to watch it come together,” she said.
Welty, who is director of the Sunflower Theatre, said in the past it’s been a struggle in Cortez to find a home for theater productions. The Sunflower provides a local space for plays like “Sylvia,” she said.
“We have a place to create a home for community theater,” she said. “The whole spirit is to get people out to experience community theater.”
jacobk@the-journal.com