evergreenplayers.org

Sylvia

By A.R. Gurney.
PG-13: some adult language

Directed by Scott Ogle.

Greg, a middle-aged stock broker, has lost interest in his job. He finds a dog in the park, a street-smart mutt named Sylvia, and brings her home. They bond instantly – could it be puppy love? But there’s no love lost between man’s best friend and man’s better half. Greg’s wife Kate demands he give Sylvia away. This unlikely trio eventually learns how to become one happy family, but not before playwright Gurney illumines for us the ultimate love triangle (man, woman and dog) and he does so in ways that are both whimsical and touching.

Director's Notes

In the world of Sylvia I have discovered I am a Kate. I’m focused on my job and when I get home I don’t want to worry about anything – anything being defined as feeding an animal, cleaning up after it, walking in the cold, etc. My wife is a Greg. She would love something furry to hold and cuddle with. So, it’s a bit ironic that I’ve directed this play.

Seeing my family roles within the play, I have come to think that anyone can find some aspect of themselves within these witty pages. We all get "lost in it" sometimes. We all have those little obsessions and desires that are more about us than a partner or family or even friends. Our loved ones often try to understand or tolerate "it" but more often than not it becomes a "Sylvia" with a life of its own. It can be sports or exercise, our work, writing, singing, video games, movies, make-up, collectable dolls, scrap-booking or even theatre. We can come to be defined by these personal passions and can even be torn away from those we care about because of them.

So I guess a lot of what I’ve learned and am trying to learn is to accept the "Sylvias" we all have and allow them some space, even when I struggle to understand them. As you read these notes and I tell you of the joy I have had in directing this play, know that Sylvia, for all that she is and can be to you or me, also is simply a dog. Not one dog, but all dogs looking for a home in this scary world.

– Scott Ogle

Cast

Lisa DeCaro Sylvia

Lisa received her BFA in acting from the University of Southern California in 1990. During and after college, Lisa acted professionally in Los Angeles, appearing on television, the stage and in film. A member of the Screen Actor’s Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, her film and TV credits include The Thing Called Love, The Intruder, A Major Find, The Watcher, The Golden Girls and the HBO film, Highways. Her favorite stage roles include Sylvia in Sylvia, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Satan in God’s Follies and multiple roles in a long-running improvisational comedy show in Los Angeles called Fumbling with the Light. For the past seven years, Lisa has been busy building a business with her husband Len Matheo called Courtroom Performance Inc. This is her first production in Evergreen, and she’s thrilled to be working with a truly wonderful director, a talented and dedicated cast and a great crew – in such a beautiful space. She is particularly grateful to be on stage again with the man of her dreams. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Len Matheo Greg

For Len’s first production in Evergreen, he is honored to be working with this incredibly talented ensemble cast. Len comes to Colorado via Taos, N.M., via New York City where he started his acting career playing in many off-Broadway and off-off Broadway productions. Some of Len’s favorite roles include: Greg in Sylvia, Cliff in Cabaret, Joe Sharp in the U.S. premiere of The Hired Man and New York’s 47th Street Theater, Felix in Horton Foote’s Blind Date at the T.S. Schreiber Studio Theater, as well as many other roles in regional theater. Len dedicates his performance to the love of his life, Lisa DeCaro, who makes everything in his life joyous and a whole lot better.

Jason Maxwell Tom, Phyllis, Leslie

This is Jason's second show with the Evergreen Players. He was last seen as the feathery-footed Alphonse in The Boy Friend. He graduates from CU-Denver this May with a BA in Acting / Directing. His most recent roles include Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure, Millet in Fuddy Meers and Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He has had a wonderful time with this show and gives thanks to Scott, the cast and wigs.

Scott Ogle Director

Scott is in his fifth year as the Theater Director at Chatfield Senior High School in Littleton. After directing over a dozen shows at Chatfield he is most proud of work on Marvin's Room, The Curious Savage and A Christmas Carol. Scott is active in the International Thespian Society and attends both state and international festivals with his students, performing scenes and improvisations. Scott started off acting with the Players as Doc in Crimes of the Heart in 2002. Last year he got involved off stage co-directing Lost in Yonkers. Sylvia is his first solo directing endeavor for the Players. Scott and his wife Mandi, a music teacher at the Bergens, have made Evergreen their home for the past four years.

Jillann Tafel Kate

Jillann was last seen as Angie in Breaking Legs with the Evergreen Players. Some of her other roles have been Charlotte in The Family Flea with the Bug Theatre, Valerie in The Weir with the Tir Na Nog Theatre Company and Annette in The Green Room with Conundrum State Productions. Jill also played the part of Dawn Wells' daughter in the film Forever For Now. Jill is originally from Chicago and is a graduate of the Second City Training Center. Some of her roles in Chicago were Catherine in The Foreigner and Margot in Dial M for Murder. Her performance is dedicated to her grandmother, Grace.

Production Crew

Images from Sylvia

Photography by Ellen Nelson and other volunteers.

Sylvia (Lisa DeCaro) is grateful to Greg (Len Matheo); "You saved my goddamn life. I never would have survived out there on my own"

Greg (Len Matheo) explains Sylvia (Lisa DeCaro) to Kate (Jillann Tafel); "No, it's more than that. Much more. We've bonded, Kate"

Tom (Jason Maxwell) and Greg (Len Matheo) in the park; "Give a dog a woman's name, you begin to think of her as a woman"

Kate (Jillann Tafel), Greg (Len Matheo) and Sylvia (Lisa DeCaro); "See why I was late? They gave her the full treatment: flea dip, nails clipped, ears cleaned, the works... they even evacuated her anal glands"

Leslie the marriage counselor (Jason Maxwell) interviews Greg (Len Matheo); "She laughs. I've actually seen her laugh. And she's got this great little butt. Everyone comments on her butt"

Cast & Crew of 'Sylvia'