For many students at Northwestern, October ushers in the feeling of a “new normal.” Classes and extracurriculars are in full swing and life settles into a busy rhythm of learning, working and spending much needed time with friends pretending to study in an LC booth. However, for the students and faculty involved in this year’s children’s show “The Perfect Dog,” October means the end of intense weeks of rehearsal and the beginning of the fun part, performances.
Director Drew Schmidt said, “The children’s show is a difficult process because we cast, create and perform the show in five weeks, as compared to our normal 10 weeks.”
Freshman Juleah Brinks, who plays the character Cyclone, a British bulldog, says that one of her favorite things about this show was how quickly she got to start creating on stage. “In high school, it took at least a week before we would start on stage but in college it was almost immediate, and I loved that.”
Though this show will be performed for thousands of elementary school children over the next month and a half, it is certainly not just for kids. “The Perfect Dog” is a story about Sam, a 12-year-old perfectionist who is looking for the right dog to win his town’s dog contest. Sam is unable to find a dog that meets his unrealistic expectations and must enter instead, his family dog, Max.
When commenting on why he chose this show, Schmidt said, “This particular show stuck out with its message on perfectionism – that when we seek an unrealistic level of excellence for ourselves, we suffer, but more importantly, so do those around us.” The theme of this beautiful performance is “People before perfection.”
This is a particularly timely message for many during this busy fall season. “As I watch so many of you college students strive for ‘the perfect grade,’ I worry that you’re making yourself ‘perfectly miserable,’” says Schmidt.
Another thing that stands out about “The Perfect Dog” is that it is not just a play, it is a musical. Though the theatre and music department only do a musical every other year, “The Perfect Dog” has a perfect work around; all the music is prerecorded.
According to Schmidt, this musical element “has been an enormous addition; however, before we committed to the show, I made sure we had talented students to help lead the charge.” Those students include Marissa Leraas as choreographer and Hope Wallace as vocal director.
There are many elements beyond the singing and dancing that make this production well worth your time. As one might guess of the characters in the show are animals, which can be quite a challenge for any designer.
According to Liam Nibbelink, who plays one of the human characters, Mr. Brown, “The costume and makeup designer, Emily Espinoza, put a lot of effort and attention into the style and aesthetic of mixing the dog’s breeds with the culture with which they are associated. For example, the German shepherd in the show has dog ears and a tail, but also is wearing lederhosen and a very German hat while holding a wicker basket.”
When highlighting just a few of the daring design choises, Elliana Zerr, who plays a French poodle named Carla, says, “People should try and count how many paw-prints they see on stage. They’re hidden everywhere. Also, audience members should come to the shows early to grab and color a coloring sheet, then watch the projections to see if their work shows up.”
With the blended costumes, interactive elements, singing, dancing and a story about perfectionism that is more important than ever, this is certainly not a show to miss. Show times are Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 5 at 4 p.m.
Students Liam Nibbelink, Anna Frangenberg and Lily Twaddle rehearse for “The Perfect Dog”
