For Immediate Release
February 13, 2002

PUPPY LOVE
Saint John Theatre Company To Stage Canine-Style Comedy "SYLVIA"

Kizzy Kaye is spending the winter discovering just how much fun it is to be a dog.

“I never realized how nice it would be to have someone scratch behind your ears, or throw a ball across a room for you to retrieve,” says the upbeat 24-year-old. “The doggie treats are an added bonus.”

Kaye has the title role in Sylvia, a bitingly funny romantic comedy the Saint John Theatre Company is presenting at the Imperial Theatre February 22-23.

Written in the 1990s by American A.R. Gurney, Sylvia is the story of a jaded middle-aged man and the dog who revolutionizes his life. Greg (played by Bob Doherty) is a successful currency trader who is worn out with the working world. One afternoon in Central Park, a saucy stray dog (Kaye) leaps into life. The pooch promptly becomes a bone of contention between Greg and his wife Kate (Suzy McCormick). Kaye, a computer programmer who grew up in Sussex, wanted the role from the moment she heard the STJC had selected Sylvia for the 2001-2002 season.

“I got the e-mail that offered me the part while I was at work, so I couldn’t jump up and yell as much as I wanted to,” she says. “So I just kind of got up and started hugging my co-workers. They knew exactly why I was so excited because wanting that role was all I had talked about for months.”

Portraying Sylvia will have Kaye doing tricks, terrorizing cats and leaping on furniture at the Imperial.

“Sylvia has her hyper moments, but even when she’s calm, there has to be that underlying momentum which shows hints of energy just below the surface,” Kaye explains. “The way I like to think of playing a dog is to imagine a child about six years old. Always learning, not yet knowing the meaning of fear, and eager to please. That, at least, is Sylvia.”

The four-member cast also features Jamie Williams, a local comic actor. The director of the production is Stephen Tobias.

“Stephen is such a great director and I was excited to work with him,” Kaye says. “I have never done a show with such a tight and talented cast. It’s a big opportunity for me to prove myself with the Saint John Theatre Company, to really make my mark.” Curtain time for Sylvia is 8 P.M. on February 22 and 23. There is a matinee at 2P.M. on the 23rd. Tickets for Sylvia range from $11.50 - $12.50 and are available through the Imperial Theatre box office at (506) 674-4100.

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