Review: Sylvia
Sylvia – A play about man’s best friend
Every dog owner surely knows how close a relationship you can create with your pet. The exhilarating and intelligent play Sylvia delves into the interaction between dogs and humans in an exceptionally deep way.
Sylvia is a successful play by award-winning New York author A. R. Gurney from 1995, which has been performed on Broadway, London’s West End and Paris, among other places. In Finland, Sylvia premiered at Lilla Teatern in 1997 and was first performed in Finnish in 1998. In this performance round, Sylvia will be seen as a production of the Helsinki City Theatre at Studio Pasila and it premiered on 6 April.
The play Sylvia focuses on a couple whose children have already left home. Greg (Jari Pehkonen) is a man with many roles who has ended up in the financial side of a large company and feels that he has had to deal with things that are too abstract. Kate (Heidi Herala) is an English teacher specialising in Shakespeare, who has only made her career after the children have left home. However, things are put in a completely new light when Greg brings home a dog he found in the park, Sylvia (Elina Aalto).
A laughing triangle drama between humans and a dog begins. I’m sure most pet owners, especially dogs, recognize themselves at least momentarily during the show, even though Greg humanizes the dog he finds more than average. Among other things, the conversations between Greg and Sylvia, which many dog people have with their pets, are hilarious, with the difference that normally the dog does not respond.
About the relationship between a man and a dog
Underneath all the comedy, however, lies an intelligent analysis of human nature and the need for renewal. Greg finds Sylvia conveniently after having to face a change at work, and the dog becomes the embodiment of going through this change. Greg wants something concrete in his life and finds it in a dog to whom he begins to devote all his time. Greg and Sylvia’s walks and visits to the dog park add extra spice to the new reality. At the dog park, both Greg and Sylvia make new acquaintances. In the park, for example, there is Tom, the owner of the Rottweiler Pontus, played by Pertti Koivula, from whom Greg receives peer support for his situation. According to Tom, a woman never really understands the relationship between a man and a dog.
Kate’s role becomes a strange combination of resistance to change and a catalyst for change as she begins to try by all means to get rid of Sylvia with the intention of returning her husband more firmly to earth. Quite a bit of tension arises between the trio, which is the spice of the whole play. The result is a hilarious comedy about a dog and its humans. This is why the play is perfect for all dog lovers and their loved ones. Witty humour and surreptitious wisdom captivate viewers of all ages and genders.