PETS (AND THEIR HUMANS) Opens Saturday At Ocean Grove

La Strada Ensemble Theater is presenting a play by New Jersey playwright Mike Sockol, Pets (and Their Humans), at the Jersey Shore Arts Center for two performances on Saturday, July 14 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, July 15 at 1 p.m. Dinner will be offered with the evening performance and a brunch buffet at the afternoon performance. Tickets are only $45 pre-bought online/$50 at the door. Cash donations will be accepted for the organization Hope for Animals.

In Pets (and Their Humans), a widower's life is turned upside down when his dog and cat start giving him advice. Can he really talk to animals or is he losing his mind? Sockol's latest play offers a funny and poignant look at the role pets play in our lives, providing the perfect show for any pet lover.

"I've always been fascinated by the 'human qualities" within our pets. Their intelligence, their empathy, and their passion make me wonder how much they know and how much they are concealing from us," said Sockol, who will also perform in the play. "So I decided to ask a more fundamental question-what would we do if they started to talk to us?"

He sees Pets (and Their Humans) as an opportunity for people to re-examine the complexities behind their own relationships with pets. Sockol lives in Holmdel and owns two dogs and a cat, who inspired three of the characters in the show.

Pets (and Their Humans) features a strong cast of local New Jersey acting veterans, including Doug Bollinger (Neptune), Kyle Kimmel (Forked River), Mackenize Klein (Whiting), Payton Klein (Whiting), Izzy Mizell (Jackson), Alexandria Pascucci (East Hanover), Melissa Pascucci (East Hanover) and Rebecca Wycoff (Jackson).

Fearless also produced Sockol's original work, Horseshoes, which was featured at the Thespis Festival in New York City and nominated by the New Jersey Association of Community Theaters for best new play in 2016.

Tickets can be purchased through the Jersey Shore Arts Center Web Site www.jerseyshoreartcenter.org by calling 732-502-0050 Monday through Friday 9am to 3pm and Saturday, 9am to 1pm or anytime through the online ticket link at jerseyshoreartscenter.ticketleap.com/pets-dinner-theater/.

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