Little Dog Best When Bringing In Laughs

In Signature Theater's The Little Dog Laughed, there's nothing more irresistible than a feisty agent.

It's a juicy part, for sure, but Holly Twyford deserves much of the credit for making a woman so unapologetically fake seem so undeniably real. Whether she's knowingly flattering, maniacally wheeling and dealing or bluntly calling a situation for what it is, watching Twyford is the hands-down highlight of this production of Douglas Carter Beane's wickedly funny romp.

Twyford's skills extend to bringing out the best even in her less than arresting counterparts. As Mitchell, the closet-case movie star that Twyford's Diane has the responsibility of keeping in check, Matthew Montelongo lacks the effortless charm of a devilish celebrity, and is never quite convincing as someone conflicted over his double life. That said, a scene between Montelongo and Twyford steals the spotlight as the most entertaining in the work—the pair obsequiously tries to convince "He Meaning Him," a self-righteous and/or principled playwright, to sell his soul, er, script, over to Hollywood. The two patter over each other in perfect synch, to hilarious results.

The Little Dog Laughed is best as a biting satire, and less compelling when actual human emotions come into the picture. It's hard to invest too much into the romance between Mitchell and Alex (Ivan Quintanilla), his call-guy turned lover—Montelongo (and therefore Mitchel) never seem fully committed to the proceedings. And while Casie Platt brings a droll weariness to her role as Ellen, Alex's friend and sometimes lover, she's saddled with the most cliche of plot predicaments as the play proceeds.

The playwright, however, takes that predicament and twists it into a surprisingly neat, delightfully absurd, and terribly funny wrap-up to the story. The conclusion reminds us there's intelligence behind the humor of The Little Dog Laughed, but that it serves up frothy entertainment far better than it does anything weighty, much like the shallow side of Hollywood it's skewering.

The Little Dog Laughed runs through March 8 at Signature Theater. Tickets are available online.