I watched a play tonight by the former head writer of The Daily Show with John Stewart. This man has 13 Emmys, a Grammy, and a Peabody. I expected the play tonight – which was in previews – to be clunky but well-written. I was disappointed.
The show is called “The Dog Show”. It features four actors and a projector. The screen shows a dog; one of the actors reads a monologue from that dog. Cute and simple.
Some of the monologues are relatable (the dog beside the dining table begging for chicken). Some were clever (the existential questioning of a chihuahua who was purchased for $1200 yet lives in a purse purchased for $4800). Some are heart-wrenching (the dog whose owner abandoned her beside the road). Most were overly long, empty, surface-level bleh.
I’ll give you two examples:
- A dog who finally experiences his life purpose when his owner throws a frisbee. Beautiful concept. But the execution needed dramatic cuts. This dog starts by talking about playing fetch, then his relationship with his owner, then slowly transitions over to the frisbee. It’s just too much exposition. Cut it. Start straight with “The disc. I saw it, and every one of my ancestors, all the way back to the wolves, pointed our noses directly at it.” I’m surprised that the head writer of The Daily Show – a medium that provides little time – would contain so many unnecessary beats.
- The ending is a border collie saying he’s smart and then discussing the moral of the play. The border collie does not actually act like a border collie, however. Border collies are not the sort of smart where they intellectualize. They are the sort of smart where they require a task to accomplish at all times. What is it actually like to be a creature whose existence requires constant engagement lest he be destructive? I don’t know: all this show gave me was a person saying “I’m a border collie, so I’m smart.”
As I was leaving, I heard one of the actors say, “I just hope we get reviews.”
After seeing this show, I can understand that desire. The show is insufficiently content-filled to actually warrant much writing.
If they want someone to 1) chop all the fat off of the script, and 2) point out all the spots where the show lacks actual dog perspective and/or heart, I’m available.
