Bittersweet Doggy Treat

Poona the Fuckdog is more poop than bite.
by Lake Sharp

Jeff Goode’s Poona The Fuckdog and Other Plays For Children is a flop, but you should see it anyway. This latest show at Sacred Fools suffers from one main problem: bad writing-something I should have perhaps realized at the get go. It is called Poona.

It’s funny though, I was really looking forward to writing, “Despite the seriously lame title, this show was fill-in-the-blank.” It’s always a drag to walk out of a production critical and disappointed, but it’s downright sucky when it happens with a small, local theater you’d like to see prosper. So, ulterior motives not aside, go see this show. If you like the title, you will like the show. In the meantime, here is a brief summation of Pros and Cons to wipe your butt with (or at least to recycle):

The gist, as the title implies, is a collection of “children’s” stories narrated and played out for you as if you were wearing drunk goggles. Poona, (ugghhh), the Fuckdog (played by Jordan Savage) is a plushie-weetle-puppy who, as our protagonist, waits in her big pink box for her Handsome Prince (Michael Lanahan). Oh, other stuff happens too. There is a series of stories, maybe three main ones where we meet God (Ruth Silveira), TV (Kimberly Atkinson) is president, and Poona’s Fairy God-Phallus (Matthew Garland) sings important lessons with his guitar and fanny pack strapped on during the interludes. Speaking of ludes, there are several inside jokes peppered throughout-a couple of which are actually funny.

The rest of the show fetches one bit after another, most with no bite. While the cast as a whole seems to carry a lot of talent, the writing is just lackluster. It is choppy, almost wholly unoriginal and (eeep) obvious. Because of the able cast, I was able to drool through it, but couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. I did appreciate what the show was trying to do. There was a spattering of political jabs and almost-poignant social commentary that wanted desperately to be the production’s focus, but in the end these seemed less like the meal and more like spinach between the teeth.

The few gems this production did squeeze out were extra blingy. I was totally captivated by Suzy-Suzy (Laura Sperrazza), a lispy little girl who befriends a computer (Kimberly Atkinson) with a wonderfully monotone, soft voice that coaxes little Suzy to wipe out civilization. This scene is funny and resonant; Sparrazza’s physical and vocal commitment was like a good belly scratch-totally there, totally awesome. Sparrazza’s work from then on stood out, and I wanted to see more.

Other standout performances came from Jasper (Brendan Hunt) and “Cunt” (Andy Corren, another actor who takes advantage of his physicality). These two play aliens who come to earth amidst our viewing of the show. Their attempts at using our language in amusing tête-à-têtes are witty and silly, and finally supported by some good writing and pun-unciation. “The Man Who Could Sell Anything” (Eric Curtis Johnson) almost sold me, but he has this weird reversal (again, the writing) with a T-shirt buyer that just doesn’t make any fucking sense. I felt like a dog at a tennis match, desperately trying to keep my eye on the ball as it bounced from world to world. This show just can’t figure out where its balls are. I’m sorry “Shrub” (Bruno Oliver), it’s not your fault you were cast to recite Hamlet, but talk about “to barf or not to barf.”

Sacred Fools has a great space, and Goode is lucky that they were willing to put so much effort behind this production. This is clearly evident in the quality of the set, sound, costume and lighting. Carlos Fedos’s set takes full advantage of the long and narrow space, creating a charming tableau of a cozy living room in one corner and a multi-leveled-multi-purposed forest/cloud tableau in the other, with a wide playing space in the middle. The cartoon fluffy world made me want to frolic through it and rub up against the cardboard. Mark McClain Wilson’s sound punctuates the show with just the right amount of innovation and subtlety. Dave Sousa’s lighting and Rebecca Crown and Brandon Clark’s costumes nicely round out the aesthetic world of this production. I only wish the guts of the production met the design on equal footing.

This show wasn’t necessarily my piece of poo, but it might be yours. If you’re hankering for some Mother Goose on her knees with a ball-gag in her mouth doin’ it doggy style, look no further. And if you’re really looking for a treat, take your niece next weekend and let her mom explain what a “fuckdog” is afterwards.  LAA

Poona the Fuckdog is running at Sacred Fools Theater, 600 N. Heliotrope, 90004. The show runs April 14th-May 27th. Make reservations: (310) 281-8337.