Development History
Dog Sees God was first presented as a reading on May 3, 2004, at the Barrow Street Theatre. It was directed by Anthony Barrile and produced by Sorrel Tomlinson. The cast was as follows:
- Alexander Chaplin as CB
- Karen DiConcetto as CB's Sister
- Daniel Franzese as Van
- Marcus Chait as Matt
- Daniel Letterle as Beethoven
- Mary Catherine Garrison as Tricia
- Melissa Picarello as Marcy
- Jennifer Esposito as Van's Sister
Dog Sees God had its world premiere at the 2004 New York International Fringe Festival. It was presented at the SoHo Playhouse. It was directed by Susan W. Lovell and produced by Sorrel Tomilinson/File 14 Productions. The cast was as follows:
- Michael Gladis as CB
- Karen DiConcetto as CB's Sister
- Tate Ellington as Van
- Jay Sullivan as Matt
- Benjamin Schrader as Beethoven
- Bridget Barkan as Tricia
- Stelianie Tekmitchov as Marcy
- Melissa Picarello as Van's Sister
- Understudies: Clay Black, Andrew Fleischer
The production was extended for two weeks and Daniel Franzese assumed the role of Van
Dog Sees God had another reading on May 9, 2005, at the Westside Theater. It was directed by Trip Cullman and produced by DeDe Harris and Sorrel Tomlinson. The cast was as follows:
- Patrick Fugit as CB
- Alison Pill as CB's Sister
- John Gallagher Jr. as Van
- Mark Webber as Matt
- Logan Marshall Green as Beethoven
- Michelle Trachtenberg as Tricia
- Anna Paquin as Marcy
- Carly Jibson as Van's Sister
Dog Sees God received its Off-Broadway premiere by Martian Entertainment and Dede Harris at the Century Center for the Performing Arts, opening on December 15, 2005. Presented by Bert V. Royal, the play was directed by the Trip Cullman; the set design was by David Korins; the costume design was by Jenny Mannis; the lighting design was by Brian MacDevitt; the sound design was by Darron L. West; the general manager was Roy Gabay; the production stage manager was Lori Ann Zepp; the assistant stage manager was Tammy Scozzafava; and the production manager was Randall Etheredge.
The cast was as follows.
- Eddie Kaye Thomas as CB
- America Ferrera as CB's Sister
- Logan Marshall-Green as Beethoven
- Ian Somerhalder as Matt
- Keith Nobbs as Van
- Kelli Garner as Tricia
- Ari Graynor as Marcy
- Eliza Dushku as Van's Sister
When Dushku (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame) quit in February 2006 along with several other members of the cast, attempts were made to tie their leaving to a lawsuit between the producers. Charges of abuse against one of the producers were later dismissed as "plainly devoid of merit and undertaken as a vindictive campaign to harass".
The Los Angeles premiere of the play was presented by the Havok Theatre Company and ran from June 7 - July 20, 2008 at the Hudson Backstage Theatre.
The Los Angeles cast was as follows.
- Joseph Porter as CB
- Andrea Bowen as CB's Sister
- Jaden Leigh as Van
- Wyatt Fenner as Beethoven
- Christine Lakin as Tricia
- Lauren Robyne as Marcy
- Nick Ballard as Matt
- Megan McNulty as Van's Sister
Christine Lakin won an LA Weekly Theatre Award for Best Female Comedy Performance.
The UK Premiere Production took place at Taurus Bar on Manchester's famous Canal Street in March 2008 thanks to author Bert V Royal helping them secure the UK rights which at that time did not exist (After this production the UK rights were set up). The show was a sell out and quickly transferred to the larger venue The Lowry in January 2009. The production gained rave reviews and now looks set to move in to return in 2012. The play was produced by Award Nominated Vertigo Theatre Productions and directed by Craig Hepworth.
The UK Cast was as follows
- Rick Carter as CB
- Craig Hepworth as Beethoven
- Abby Simmons as CB's Sister
- Greg Kelly as Matt
- Emma Salt as Marcy
- Adele Stanhope as Tricia
- Stuart Reeve as Van
- Emma Willcox as Van's Sister
For The Lowry production Greg Kelly and Abby Simmons were replaced with Mike Gates and Louise allen due to scheduling conflicts. Dog Sees God will get a 3rd outing by Vertigo in 2012 with a mix of original UK cast members and new cast members. The show will again be directed by Craig Hepworth as well as Adele Stanhope.
Read more about this topic: Dog Sees God: Confessions Of A Teenage Blockhead
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