Two dogs of Eugene steal scenes in ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’

In the William Shakespeare play “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” the servant character Lance remarks that his dog, Crab, might be “the sourest-natured dog that lives.”

Crab, ill-behaved and uncaring when it comes to Lance, isn’t a very good dog. 

But Brodie and Maisie, the two dogs who alternate weekends performing as Crab in Eugene’s Free Shakespeare in the Park production, are.

Brodie and Maisie, brother and sister golden retrievers owned by different people who live in Eugene, are playing a character that is one of a kind in the Shakespeare canon.

“The Two Gentlemen of Verona” is an early play in the Bard’s bibliography. It has the fixtures of many of his later works: a woman disguised as a man, a scheming villain, a focus on friendship and love. But it’s the only Shakespeare play to feature a dog as an onstage character, making Brodie and Maisie rarities in the theater world.

Sharon Selove, the artistic director and founder of Free Shakespeare in the Park, said Brodie and Maisie are dog park “besties” with her dog Beanie. Beanie is closer in temperament to Crab. Brodie and Maisie are better behaved, and caught her eye for casting.

“If my dog was in the play, he would want to go out into the audience and eat every single thing that he can see, and he would bark because he’d want to say hi to every single dog,” Selove said. “That would be too much.”

When your scene partner is a dog

Zoë Holbo, who plays Crab’s owner, Lance, auditioned with a stuffed animal wiener dog before learning they would be acting with a real dog. Having Brodie and Maisie, though, helped round out their performance of Lance.

In one monologue, Lance talks about how tired he is of Crab’s behavior before making eye contact with Crab and realizing he loves the dog too much to complain. For Holbo, the segment didn’t quite land until they tried it with the real dogs.

“The first time I looked into Brodie or Maisie’s eyes — they were just looking up with their big brown dog eyes, because they don’t know they’re in a play,” Holbo said. “I was like, ‘Oh, nay, I’ll be sworn.’”

The two dogs look nearly identical, but performances do have visible differences. Holbo said Brodie is generally calmer, while Maisie is jumpier and has a better sense of comedic timing. Holbo also has a medieval fool’s staff prop they can use only in performances with Maisie. The fake baby head on the staff scares Brodie too much.

A key tool in maintaining their attention: treats. Holbo, also the production’s wardrobe manager, made a treat bag as part of their Lance costume. It’s labeled with a script “CL,” for Crab and Lance.

Holbo knows that Brodie and Maisie are scene-stealers onstage, commanding a chorus of “awws” when one of the dogs appears. “I’m riding his coat and tails,” Holbo joked.

An acting future for Brodie?

Brodie’s owner, Rosemary Camozzi, said Brodie — a certified Canine Good Citizen with the American Kennel Club — makes a good stage dog because of his people skills. 

He and Maisie are 4-½ years old, adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Camozzi got Brodie at the same time two of her longtime friends got Maisie. The two dogs play together frequently.

Brodie’s acting career may just be beginning, if he can figure out basketball. Camozzi doubts it would happen, but she’s considering submitting a video of Brodie to the nationwide casting call for the “Air Bud Returns” reboot.

Because Camozzi is backstage during Brodie’s performances, ready to take him out for the bathroom and his intermission walk, she hasn’t actually seen him in action. 

“In order to see the dog in the play, I had to come and watch his sister,” she said. 

Final performances

Free Shakespeare in the Park’s final performances of “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” are this Saturday and Sunday, at the Amazon Community Center, 2700 Hilyard St. in Eugene. Performances start at 6 p.m. Bring a blanket or chairs to sit on during the performance, which runs around two hours.

The Saturday performance will be streamed live on Free Shakespeare in the Park’s Facebook page, starting at 6 p.m.