The Dover Sherborn Middle School play is set to have a novice actor take the stage this winter. Sunny, a three-and-a-half-year-old Golden Retriever, will be playing the role of Sandy the Pup in the December production of Annie.
“It’s really fun to work with Sunny,” said Brynn Cullum, an eighth-grade student playing the role of Annie in two of the four shows. “She is a sweet, loving dog and listens really well.”
Sunny’s debut in theater started as a joke when eleventh grader Olivia Wong reached out to Miranda Savla, who oversaw props for the DSMS production of Mary Poppins.
Wong had jokingly told Savla that “Sunny should be in this show,” and Savla encouraged Wong to reach out to DSMS theater director, Claire Mackay.
To obtain a spot on the cast list, Sunny would need to be able to stay in place, sit, lay down, and heel.
Sunny’s audition took place in the Mudge Auditorium, where the puppy sat on stage surrounded by the cast. Wong recalls the way the cast warmly welcomed Sunny with hugs and belly rubs.
Sunny has continued to refine her skills and on-stage persona. She gets very excited to be at rehearsals and wants to run around and say hi to everybody. Wong notes the positive impact Sunny has on the cast due to Sunny’s love of people.
“She’s a people pleaser,” Wong said.
Sunny’s relationship with the two Annies, Brynn Cullum and Kate O’Brien, is very important. “I really enjoyed training with Sunny the dog,” said Kate O’Brien, one of the Annies for two of the four DSMS shows. “Sunny has a cute personality and has picked up a lot of tricks for the show and will make an amazing Sandy.”
When Sunny was 8 weeks old, the Wongs went to welcome their new puppy into their family. Wong said that when they arrived there were three dogs left from the eight-dog litter. Most notable about Sunny, Wong shares, was the color of her fur, which is a light to medium golden. The day they met, Wong remembers, “She was so sweet and calm.”
Wong shares that she prepared for the dog by watching YouTube videos on how to train dogs. While they had a private trainer for a month, Wong said that she continued to train Sunny on her own. Besides the tricks she did for her audition, Sunny can give her right paw and touch her snout to someone’s hand. While she loves white rice and can often be found waiting each night by the rice cooker, her favorite training treat is dried chicken.
Wong will be present at the shows to see Sunny’s much anticipated debut as Sandy the Pup. When she is not in the spotlight, Sunny will be backstage with lucky cast members who get to spend time with her.
The DSMS play is scheduled to be performed at the Mudge Auditorium on Thursday, December 5th at 6:30 pm, Friday, December 6th at 7:30 pm, and Saturday, December 7th at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Tickets will be available soon through dsdrama.ludus.com.
