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 Kate (Claudia McCotter) expresses frustration over Greg and Sylvia’s relationship.  KVPAC to open Sylvia on FridayBy HALA ABOUDAHERThe old saying goes “two’s company and three’s a crowd.” For Greg and Kate Parker from the play “Sylvia,” this saying holds true when one day Greg brings home a stray dog from the park. Katy Visual and Performing Arts Center opens its production of “Sylvia” by A.R. Gurney this weekend. The show will run Feb. 5-6,12-13, and 19-20 at 8 p.m., with a special Valentine’s Day matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on the KVPAC website for $12 or $15 at the door. The play “Sylvia” focuses on a middle-aged couple facing an empty-nest and growing older. Greg, played by JB Gonzales, is continually dissatisfied with his job as a financial trader ,while his wife Kate’s(Claudia McCotter) career as a public school educator begins to flourish. One day while walking in the park, Greg finds a stray Labrador-poodle mix named Slyvia. Sylvia, played by Aleice Wilmore, immediately becomes a devoted companion to Greg, but Kate is not sold on the idea of Sylvia. As the play progresses Sylvia becomes a greater point of contention between the couple. JB Gonzales, who plays Greg, said the play is more about the couple’s story than the man and dog story. “Sylvia becomes the catalyst for their relationship,” he said. “It’s (the play) really about the relationship with the couple.” “Sylvia” explores the conflict that comes with middle age and the relationship between people and their pets. Throughout the play, the couple discusses the conflicts that arise through Sylvia with Tom, Phyllis and Leslie, all charcters played by Andy Midkiff. Midkiff loves the unconventional nature of “Sylvia.” “This is one of the few plays where it’s not just a person playing an animal. It’s just a person with an animal type mentality. They play more to the relationship than to the actual species,” he said. Aleice Wilmore, who plays Sylvia, fell in love with the play in graduate school and when she heard that KVPAC was performing “Sylvia” she couldn’t resist. Wilmore said that playing Sylvia has been really physically challenging. “I’m exhausted at the end of the night because I don’t stop running and jumping and rolling and doing all kinds of stuff,” she said. |
