Point Loma Playhouse’s ‘Sylvia’ chews at your heartstrings

POINT LOMA – A heartwarming canine comedy classic, “Sylvia,” from the Point Loma Playhouse, has four final performances Friday through Sunday, July 11-13, at Point Loma Assembly. A play by A.R. Gurney, “Sylvia,” which premiered off-Broadway in 1995, is a comedy about an empty-nester couple who adopt a rescue dog with a lot to say. The play goes by the production tagline, “This rescue dog may win their hearts… but not before she turns their world upside down!”  Robert Nickel of Point Loma is directing “Sylvia.” He said the play is special to him. “I fell in love with the work of A.R. Gurney,” he said. “This is a play I’ve wanted to do for a long time. When I was at Point Loma High in the 1980s, we did a play by the same author titled ‘The Dining Room,’ and when he wrote ‘Sylvia,’ I knew I wanted to direct it someday. “And just 30 short years later, here we are.” Pointing out that the nonprofit Point Loma Playhouse serves the Peninsula, Nickel noted that “community is right in the name. We’re trying to get people out of the virtual and being disconnected, and into having an incredibly rare (live) theatre experience where every show is different.” This play was also special for the two headliners, Sylvia the dog, played by Rachel Dillon, and Greg, played by Manny Cardeiro. Dillon said it is an extraordinary theatrical experience. “Sylvia has been the most physically challenging role I’ve ever done. I don’t think I’ve gone through knee pads so quickly,” she said. “But it’s also been the most joyful. I have such a deep love for dogs and getting to express that on stage by playing one is so much fun.” In preparing for her role, Dillon said she had to start paying more attention to dogs and their behaviors, especially with her dachshund Zorro. “Although Sylvia isn’t a wiener dog per se, there were a lot of things he did that I carried over into the show such as the way he sniffs things and how he scratches his butt,” Dillon said. “This is the first straight play I’ve ever done,” she added. “Previously, I’ve only ever done musicals, where you express yourself through song. I was nervous to learn so many lines. But this cast and creative team has been so supportive and we have each other’s back.” Cardeiro noted it’s always special working with such a small cast because “it enables you to have special moments with each person. Something about that intimate camaraderie and the collective team work building toward a unifying goal is always quite magical. “I feel grateful for our cast and director because each person is in a uniquely different level of acting which lends itself wonderfully to the living entity that is the theater. I feel especially grateful to be sharing the stage once again with my co-star, Rachel Dillon, who knocks it out of the park every time she sets the four ‘paws’ onstage.” Added Cardeiro: “Our previous involvement with the play ‘First Date,’ has made our connection and chemistry on stage that much more dynamic. My own personal journey with this project has been full of joy and passion, looking deeper into the relationships that we develop with those who have been in our lives for many seasons and those who come out of nowhere and bring us a new sense of vitality. That journey truly continues, for all of us.” As director, it was Nickel’s responsibility to hold auditions and cast the play. “I got my dream cast,” he said. “Every single role is just the way I had imagined it.” “Sylvia” has also been a family affair for Nickel, whose wife, Michelle, is doing the house management, and his daughter, Emma, is handling sound design. “For me, the hardest thing has just been carving out the time,” Nickel said. “When you’re doing a show you either spend the time away from your family – or the whole family gets involved. The family that puts on a play together, will also stay together.” Sylvia Point Loma Playhouse presents “Sylvia,” by A.R. Gurney directed by Robert Nickel. Performances at Point Loma Assembly, 3035 Talbot St. on July 11 at 7:30 p.m.; July 12 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and July 13 at 3 p.m. Talbot Street Cast (in order of appearance): Sylvia – Rachel Dillon, Greg – Manny Cardeiro, Kate – Gracie Leighton, Tom – Max Redstone, The Bird Guy – Andres Arredondo, Nina – Yasmin Ruiz, Leslie –Charisse Zeff, voiceovers Erica – Novak Swing. Tickets are available for purchase here.