←Recommendations of The Dog

This whimsical and thrilling play proves that dogs are truly man's best friend. Richard Soltero-Brown writes with precision yet still leaves room for exploration. Feelings, like needing to be accepted and needing love, compliment (and contradict) each other at various moments, making the innerworkings of these characters reveal themselves piece by piece throughout the play. This would be a clear standout in any theater company who will produce it.

This actually feels like a psychological horror film. Dog lovers will be absolutely shaken by this play. I love how the escalation of their cursing using different F words from scene to scene until it becomes the true bomb, just like the situation they find themselves in. This whole play is almost an open scene, without really knowing much about the 3 characters beyond their feelings for each other or the dog. Which opens this up to many different ways to stage this and that makes this exciting.

A very layered and complex piece, in a way that subversively challenges the audience. The dissection of the central relationship of two unnamed characters is provoked both metaphorically and literally by the titular dog, who is a fascinating character despite being unseen and only heard on select occasions. There's a swath of subtle themes that grow and escalate in intriguing ways. It's really all very fascinating!

Words matter. So do pauses and the space between the words. Ricardo Soltero-Brown proves yet again that his plays use those truths so that we take the dialogues, monologues and the moments far beyond face value. Listening to two unnamed people share their lives and the reaction of a dog, you find yourself filling in the spaces and the moments in anticipation, waiting for the next word, beat, silence, and moment. I could not stop reading it, and on stage it would be riveting.

While any dog presence automatically makes me think about Edward Albee, this play feels like a modern-day cousin to Albee's writing by way of Pinter. Subtext galore and rich, meaty monologues for each character to dive into. Soltero-Brown tackles love - both romantic and cynophilia - and how interwoven and complex our emotions for each other and our four-legged-friends can be.

Oh, fark! I've a lot to learn from Ricardo Soltero-Brown's play THE DOG, especially in regard to the dialogue. He weaves a captivating narrative exploring the complexities of love and relationships. A and B engage in a fast-paced dialogue that skillfully avoids addressing fundamental issues. (I "love" the motif of blindness, especially in plays.) Useful things, tails. Clear. This play's strength lies in the juxtaposition of their verbal obfuscations with the Dog's direct and violent response. Fascinating. Sharp monologues. I just might need to re-read it!

Big fan of both of C's monologues, particularly the line about remembering the first dog you ever saw.

So much plays under the surface of the halting dialogue between A and B. Their inability to speak the plain truth and to address the issues before them is wittily rendered. The Dog's direct and violent response juxtaposes ironically with their verbal obfuscations. There is no place for the primal in A and B's world.

This play is absolutely outstanding! Ricardo Soltero-Brown crafts such an incredible and engaging theatrical experience. The dialogue is truly magnificent. The journey that these characters go on is captured so beautifully and honestly. There is so much power in these words that Ricardo writes. Absolutely amazing!

What an incredible play. The dialogue is perfectly paced with an almost surreal edge. The monologues are masterful. All in all there is an amazing rumination on how relationships have unexpected twists and turns that require addressing and maybe even sacrifice.