What I liked
This is a show that grabs you by the throat and drags you through its tale at unrelenting mach speeds. The core performances are stellar, full of just the right amount of mania, subtlety, and depth that the script requires, prodded on by creative direction choices that culminate in a plethora of hard-hitting moments throughout the whole piece.
Excellently paced and observed, we have Ben’s snappy and insightful dialogue to thank for laying the blueprint. Every line is purposeful, many charged with multiple meanings and clever turns of phrase. The play asks you to empathize with both of its flawed characters, who are ultimately good people with a slew of irreconcilable differences that doom them from the start. It’s complicated and messy because that’s what humans are, both of them right, both of them wrong, both struggling to do what’s best for themselves.
What I didn't like
no actual dog on stage 0/10
My overall impression
Chaotic as hell, yet focused like a homing missile, Dog of Carnage is a dissection of a failed relationship that starts with a custody battle over a dog and ends up… well, let’s just say it’s not really about the dog, is it? Much like a real life custody battle, the dog is but a ball in a cruel game of tennis, a living vessel through which the two opposing parties launder their grievances and excuses, each volley aimed squarely at a gaping, raw wound.
