Dog

by Francesca Pazniokas

When Alice needs a place to crash after dropping out of college, her sister Penny welcomes her with open arms. There's just one catch: Penny's dog, Elmo -- who may not be a dog at all. "Dog" is an experimental play about cycles of abuse, and the passive violence that keeps abusers in power.

When Alice needs a place to crash after dropping out of college, her sister Penny welcomes her with open arms. There's just one catch: Penny's dog, Elmo -- who may not be a dog at all. "Dog" is an experimental play about cycles of abuse, and the passive violence that keeps abusers in power.

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Dog

Recommended by

  • Matt Minnicino: Dog

    This play is like a bullet that's hit you in the skull and is slowly burrowing its way towards your brain, hitting different receptors as it wiggles through. The tension is thick and the realization of both the subtle and unsubtle weaponry of familial abuse is superb. The central metaphor and its transformative (literally) effect on the characters is one of the best and simplest-yet-most-tangible expressions of how gaslighting derails our perceptions, challenging the audience to feel as unsteady as Alice while the world shifts beneath her feet.

    This play is like a bullet that's hit you in the skull and is slowly burrowing its way towards your brain, hitting different receptors as it wiggles through. The tension is thick and the realization of both the subtle and unsubtle weaponry of familial abuse is superb. The central metaphor and its transformative (literally) effect on the characters is one of the best and simplest-yet-most-tangible expressions of how gaslighting derails our perceptions, challenging the audience to feel as unsteady as Alice while the world shifts beneath her feet.

  • Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn: Dog

    I actually found myself breathing out an air of relief and my muscles finally relaxed when I got to the end of this play. High tension from beat one. Absolutely dark and real in a very surreal manner. It's a heartbreaking picture of the cycles of abuse.

    I actually found myself breathing out an air of relief and my muscles finally relaxed when I got to the end of this play. High tension from beat one. Absolutely dark and real in a very surreal manner. It's a heartbreaking picture of the cycles of abuse.

  • Cheryl Bear: Dog

    A remarkable metaphor for abuse and a powerful exploration. After taking in a stray, we examine the very nature of abuse and gaslighting. Fantastic work.

    A remarkable metaphor for abuse and a powerful exploration. After taking in a stray, we examine the very nature of abuse and gaslighting. Fantastic work.

View all 7 recommendations

Character Information

  • Alice
    Character Age
    18 or 19
  • Penny
  • Elmo
  • Bella
    Character Age
    Tweens

Development History

  • Type Workshop, Organization Columbia College , Year 2019
  • Type Reading, Organization Project Y Theatre, Year 2018
  • Type Reading, Organization Bechdel Group,

Awards

  • Theatre503 Playwriting Award
    Theatre503
    Semi-Finalist
    2020