Men are Dogs: A Theatre USC Production
Let’s get this Theatre USC show on the road! From November 30 to December 2, come join the Western community in celebrating all the theatrical talent we have right here at USC.
Theatre USC, a program run by the University Student’s Council, brings a dramatic flair to their three major productions each year: the Fall Play, Purple Shorts, and the Spring Musical. This week, Theatre USC is excited to invite you to their 2022 Fall Play: Men are Dogs by Joe Simonelli.
Men are Dogs, a modern, witty show with raunchy humor, is being produced by Jac Sutton. The fifth year linguistics and classical studies student gave USC Voice an inside look into what the play is about: “Without giving too much away, Men are Dogs delves into the trickiest parts of relationships, whether it’s platonic, familial, or romantic, and shows how hard it can be to truly put faith into another person.”
The cast is smaller than typical, and very tight-knit. “Picking a show with a smaller cast allowed us to focus on getting in sync and having a specific mood and arc in mind for each individual,” explained Jac. “I was very set on having a contemporary show with a female lead, and I couldn’t be happier than I am with Cameran Shalatski as Dr. Cecelia Monohan, the psychologist with her own doubts about love and a constant headache from family, friends, and men.”
This will be Cameran Shalatski’s Theatre USC debut. The first year MIT student has had lots of experience with community theatre back in her hometown, but when Cameran first got to Western, theatre wasn’t on her mind. Quickly though, she found a community like no other. “My friend told me about the auditions so I gave it a shot,” said Cameran, “When I arrived at the in-person call backs and met everybody else who auditioned, they were all so welcoming. I was so excited just being there. I decided even if I didn’t get cast for the show, I would try and get involved with Theatre USC any way I could.”
Theatre USC is constantly growing and evolving, and it’s a great way to get involved on campus and meet a community like no other. With all the productions they put together, they need talented actors, directors, writers, and backstage crew to bring their shows to life. Brittney-Lee Lowey, the director of Men are Dogs, actually encouraged Jac to get involved all the way back in 2019 with Western Summer Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night production: “I didn’t even know Theatre USC was a thing at that time. But the people I met through that show, such as the director of this play, Brittney-Lee, introduced me to more opportunities and encouraged me to be involved.”
And for Brittney-Lee, who has been involved with Theatre USC since 2018, community has been a motivator for her continued involvement. “I love meeting new people, and making the size of our community here even bigger,” said Brittney-Lee.
Brittney-Lee has directed many productions over the years for Theatre USC, but this one might be her last. The theatre and gender, sexuality and women studies student is graduating this year, and she wanted to make this production memorable: “This is my last year at Western, and my last chance to do something big with Theatre USC, and I wanted to go out with a bang. I have really enjoyed my time with Theatre USC, and I’m glad I can finish by doing this.”
If you would like to get involved with Theatre USC, give them a follow @theatreusc on Instagram to check out their casting information and opportunities to get involved behind the scenes. And don’t forget to come out this week to support Jac, Cameran, Brittney-Lee and many others who have spent weeks perfecting this show. It’s sure to be a good one!
The show will run from November 30 to December 2 at 7pm in the Mustang Lounge. Tickets are available here. Break a leg, Theatre USC!
