Something For Everyone in Brelby's DOGFIGHT, Opening Friday

Kinsey Peotter plays the leading role, Rose, in Brelby's Dogfight, opening this Friday.

"Rose is a young waitress working at her family diner, Peotter said. "She is naïve and sweet but also has a lot of opinions and thinks a little differently. She connects with people and music that is outside of the box but also really wants to fit in. So when Eddie comes in to her life and tries to talk about music she is interested in but is also charming and feigns interest in her, she thinks she's finally found someone that could possibly get her. When things go wrong and she is left in pain she doesn't back down and tells Eddie just exactly how she feels. It sticks with him, and he tries to apologize and instead of driving the nail farther into his coffin, she decides to have compassion and prove that people can be good. I feel like I am a lot like Rose because I try very hard to find the good in people and I want to make connections but I also think differently and care about different things than most people. Rose is very brave and very understanding and patient and she has taught me how to be more of both of those things in my own life," she said.

"The show takes place during the Vietnam War," she explained, "when a group of young new Marines are spending their last night together before being deployed. It was tradition for these boys to throw a "dogfight" where the person who brought the ugliest date would win a prize. Eddie is searching for the perfect date and comes across Rose and convinces her to be his date for the party. Through his awful actions she shows him immense compassion and teaches him that people are more than they look. He teaches her that there is more to life than being scared to do anything," she said.

Dogfight is a show everyone can connect with, according to Peotter. "You will find something that resonates with you and you will be entertained. The cast is amazing, hard working and talented as all get out. It is beautiful and fun music plus a story that really makes you think," she said.

Peotter said, "This show holds a special place in my heart and Rose has been a dream role for a long time. My favorite part about working on it has been the opportunity to tell this story. I have experienced something very similar to this situation but Rose handles things with more class and less fear than I was able to. It has been an opportunity to confront those feelings and work through them in a personal way. My goal in theatre is always to make someone feel something. If I am able to be honest and vulnerable and it makes a connection to your daily life, then I have done my job. I have loved getting to do a show with such deep meaning and having the opportunity to portray a character I respect so much."

Amelia Huot plays Marcy, a prostitute. "She's a hard ass and doesn't take shit from anybody," Huot said. "But she'll always do what it takes to make money, under her rules of course. It's Marcy's way or no way. She's dealt with a lot of men's crap before, and she just decided that she can't be upset about how shitty men turn out to be. It's how they are - they are all assholes. So she has adapted to it, and doesn't take it to heart anymore."

"My FAVORITE part about working on this show," Huot said, "is that I can make new choices every single rehearsal. Shelby, our director, really lets us play and explore. She'll always tell you if it's working or not - to add something, to ease up on a choice. What's challenging about working on this show so far is understanding what Marcy has gone through and that she's at a point where she doesn't even want to try anymore - men are dogs and you can't let them walk all over you, so you have to bite back. Really selling those choices has been difficult because I'm sensitive and wouldn't be able to be a bad ass like that. So conveying that mentality has been a challenge," she said.

"Audiences should come see Dogfight," Huot concluded, "because the music is absolutely beautiful, they will learn something, and this cast is so talented it's stupid."

Dogfight opens July 14 at 7:30pm. Subsequent performances are July 15, 21-22, 28-29, August 4-5 at 7:30pm and July 16, 23, 30 at 2PM.

It's November 21, 1963. On the eve of their deployment to a small but growing conflict in Southeast Asia, three young Marines set out for one final boys' night of debauchery, partying and maybe a little trouble. But when Corporal Eddie Birdlace meets Rose, an awkward and idealistic waitress he enlists to win a cruel bet with his fellow recruits, she rewrites the rules of the game and teaches him the power of love and compassion.

Dogfight, with music and lyrics by 2017 Tony Award winners Benj Pasek & Justin Paul and book by Peter Duchan is based on the Warner Bros. film and screenplay by Bob Comfort.

Brelby partners with local downtown Glendale businesses to offer more options for audience members. By showing their digital ticket, audiences can receive 10% off of their bill at the Hop Stop Diner, 10% off of any entrée at Haus Murphy's Restaurant, and 10% off of a customer's bill at the Olde Towne Glendale (OTG) Beer & Wine Bar or the Gaslight Inn.

Tickets are available by visiting the official website, brelby.com/tickets. General admission is $25 per performance. Admission is included in the benefits of Brelby's ShowGO subscription: brelby.com/showgo. The Brelby Playhouse is located at 7154 N 58th Dr, Glendale, AZ 85301.