The story begins with Alice waiting outside an Arizona desert humane society before it opens, hoping someone has found her lost dog. After yet another fight with her husband in Los Angeles, Alice has finally left, taking her dog Sassy and heading north toward Canada, or at least she thinks she is.
Somewhere in Arizona the pair encounter unexpected fireworks. Terrified by the noise, Sassy bolts into the desert and disappears.
What follows is a series of encounters with dog know-it-alls, dog know-nothings, and one true hero — someone whose life’s work is helping dogs help people. But ultimately, it’s up to Alice to learn the lessons a dog can teach her.
This spring, local playwright Brenda McFarlane brings her one-woman comedy “Dog Gone” to the historic El Sol Theatre in Silver City, featuring a performance by local actor Hallie Harris. McFarlane wrote and directed the play while balancing life as a small business owner, running Ziryab’s Body Brew, her bath and body stores in Mesilla and Silver City.
“I’m not giving anything away by saying the dog is found,” McFarlane says. “But you’ll have to see the play to find out whether Alice finds the courage to ask for what she wants, and to believe she deserves it.”
Beneath the comedy lies a deeper theme that reflects McFarlane’s own life.
“The play grew out of the tension between pursuing big ambitions and wanting the ordinary things that make life feel good — family, friends, a home, a dog.”
Originally from Canada, McFarlane moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in writing. While there she volunteered at the Glendale Humane Society and adopted a dog named Charlie who had been scheduled to be put down.
“I had no idea that a slobbering, brown-eyed furball of a dog could teach me so much about myself,” McFarlane says. “The play is my attempt to bring together those conflicting yearnings of ambition, belonging, and the desire for a real life.”
The role of Alice was originally premiered in an early Winnipeg production by Irene Sankoff, performer and co-writer of the Tony Award–winning musical “Come From Away,” who helped shape the character during the play’s development.
The current production stars Hallie Harris, a Silver City performer McFarlane says has the range and courage required for a one-woman show.
“When a one-person play works, it’s thrilling,” she says. “A talented, inspired performer can make creating an entire world look easy, yet the audience senses they are watching a kind of magic.”
McFarlane says the production also reflects a broader moment for theatre in the region.
“It really feels like the many people who have been working for years to support theatre in Silver City are starting to see that energy come together,” she says.
She points to the restoration of the El Sol Theatre (“their new seats are so comfortable”), the work of Silver City Theatre, and the long efforts of artists and organizers across the community.
“People like Joe Navin at the Starlight Theatre have done extraordinary work building opportunities for performers, even offering his space to the community for several years,” she says.
The production also reflects the growing network of artists and venues across southern New Mexico, connecting audiences in communities such as Silver City and Las Cruces through shared arts events and collaborations.
