D IS FOR DOG
Creative Director, Video Designer, Puppet Designer
Rogue Artists Ensemble • 2012 • Los Angeles, CA
A dark sci-fi theatrical experience created and directed by Sean Cawelti. Featuring life-size puppets and immersive media, D is for Dog toured to South Coast Repertory and was named one of the top-rated shows of 2011 by Bitter Lemons.
REVIEWS
“Like the best science fiction, ‘D Is for Dog’ gains its power from the vulnerability of its characters, human or not.” — Los Angeles Times
“GO!… a panoply of talent [relays] what metamorphoses into a riveting sci-fi tale.”— LA Weekly
“Astounding – from the story to the music, from the set to the puppetry. I was enthralled by every twist and turn.” — StageSceneLA
“Theatrically engrossing and enjoyable fare from start to finish.” — BroadwayWorld
“An impressive show with striking visuals and immersive energy.” — LAist
D is for Dog is an original sci-fi horror play conceived and directed by Sean Cawelti, who also served as Puppet and Video Designer. Set in a post-apocalyptic world and inspired by the narrative twists of The Twilight Zone, the production follows a seemingly perfect 1950s-style family whose idyllic life begins to unravel through eerie reveals, dark humor, and haunting puppetry.
Presented in Los Angeles at Studio Stage, the Hudson Theater, and later touring to South Coast Repertory, the production was lauded for its genre-bending storytelling and immersive, unsettling visuals. Featuring life-sized puppets, stylized projections, and period-perfect staging, D is for Dog explored themes of memory, control, and the hidden costs of safety in a manufactured world.
The production earned numerous awards and critical acclaim, including Ovation Honors for Puppet Design, a LA Weekly nomination for Best Comedy Ensemble, and over 15 positive critic reviews as one of Bitter Lemons’ top-rated shows of 2011.