The program for Bert V. Royal’s Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead says that the show “is intended for adults only,” but it would likely make a greater impact on an audience of teens. True, the language about sex and drugs is exceedingly explicit. But once we’ve gotten used to the idea that the company from Peanuts has grown up and turned to Ecstasy, blow jobs and arson, the plot turns to one character’s sexual identity crisis, and the ensuing developments — the schoolyard taunts, the bullying, the inescapability of public opinion — all read as high school problems.
If Dog Sees God is really aimed at adults, then its story is old hat and offers next to nothing original to think about. But for a 16-year-old, the play’s message of tolerance may feel distinctly relevant. In the pressure-cooker that is high school, Dog Sees God might even save a life.
This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2010.