What I liked
Apart from the performances, the director makes some interesting blocking choices that separated it from other productions, and I found the pacing to be crisp and propulsive, which isn’t always the case with that show.
What I didn't like
The ‘improvements’ that Bert V. Royal made to the script were hardly improvements. We’re told it’s to have the show appeal to 2024 sensibilities, but all it did was make a deplorable character less deplorable, and the moral center of the show sort of a bully himself. I found the new stuff muddled, and thought it offered nothing new or relevant to the experience.
My overall impression
A mostly successful attempt at one of the most important young adult plays of the past couple decades. “Dog Sees God” has always connected with young people in a deep way. I, myself, have directed a production of it, and starred as “CB” in a separate production. Performances were universally fantastic, with particular praise to Jacob Martinez as “CB” (a swing btw), Anthony Turpel (the best “Van” I’ve seen yet), and Isabella Coben (a “Trisha” for the ages).
