*** It is always exciting to be a witness to a World Premiere play. What makes tonight even more special is that the playwright is from Chicago. Hanna Kime’s “DOGS” is an 80 minutes play about New York’s hot dog eating contest, but for women. Eating contests are something unique, and as one who participated in one, many years ago, I recall the event even 70 years later. I was almost 12 and it was a pie eating contests. The pies were blueberry and we had our hands tied behind our backs, so our heads went right into the pie tin to gobble up the fruit and the crust. The pies were 10″ and I ate 7, coming in 3rd place. The other contestants were teens or young adults, and while I did not win, I felt victorious. Since that day, I have never had a slice of blueberry pie!

The play is unique in that it takes us to the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest in New York on the 4th of July and during the 80 minutes ( no intermission) we go through several years of competition with the same five ladies competing. We learn a great deal about each of the ladies and their goals and desires. How far can or will a person go in order to be victorious and when they do win, what do they give up in order to do so?

Sharpley directed by Becca Holloway on a set designed by Hunter Cole, we find ourselves witnessing the event on the Boardwalk. Our host Julian “joolz” Stroop, gets us into the mood to yelp and hoot for the ladies, and then as we progress into the different sessions, takes us into their stories. There are five contestants. They are #1, Naomi Bell ( played by Elisabeth del Toro), #2,Davis ( Stephanie Shum is a powerhouse in this role and as an actual hot dog later), number 3, Trish Peck ( Allyce Carryn Torres ) , #4, Carol Martin  (played to perfection by Tatiana Pavela) and last, but certainly not least, number five -Long ( a dynamic portrayal by Isabella Moran del Toro). Watching them enact eating hot dog after hot dog is hard on many of us as it seems as if they would get sick. Understand, there are no real hot dogs, but they are pretty convincing, so we see what they want us to see!

There are many emotional aspects of these “eaters’ that are explored within the script and we also see how far a person might go to prove their worth. If you pick apart some of the smaller scenes between two ladies at a time, you will see the struggles that one must endure to “be the best”! The conversation between Bell and Davis near the end of the story is probably the one that will mean the most, so I will not give away what takes place and how the story ends. I will tell you that there are many moments where you will laugh, because life can be funny and these actors have their roles down pat. Just so you know, in case you have a weak stomach, there is some fake vomiting in the play ( but very realistic).

I suggest that you go into this play ready to watch a wonderful story that will make you see why people compete in things that you think are crazy. They do this to win! They do this for their own ego! They do this to be the best! You decide if it is worth it!

“DOGS” will continue thru – Nov 24th with performances as follows: