FROM BARK TO HEART

A barking-dog complaint grows
into something far more interesting

Richard Lucas

I have been a fan of Richard Lucas since I reviewed his short, humorous, autobiographical novel The Dog Log, which chronicles life next door to two constantly yapping Yorkies and their hoarding, annoying owner as told through the device of a “dog log,” a journal kept to chronicle the dogs’ barking to be presented to a court for judgment if they qualify as public nuisances.

The book caught me entirely by surprise. I had expected it to be funny—which it was—but I hadn’t expected it to be as moving as it was. It tickled my funny bone. It touched my humanity.

I was also present for the staging when Lucas adapted his novel as a one-man show. Under the astute direction of Bruno Oliver, Lucas’s solo performances of The Dog Log have pleased Hollywood Fringe audiences and theatre patrons throughout Southern California.

I had not planned on attending the one-night presentation of The Dog Log at The Style Den, a glossy, high-end fashion outlet in Marina del Rey. In a call, however, Lucas explained to me that his performance would be before a special audience. Selena Slogar, The Style Den’s proprietor, produced the evening as a half social event, half “Haight-Ashbury” happening. Suddenly, I knew I’d be arriving early.

Slogar had set up a small arrangement of booths opposite the ad hoc stage catering to a somewhat different clientele—the four-legged variety. In association with Pawsitive Vibes LA, The Style Den hosted a “mixer” of about sixty small dogs (“under 35 pounds”), who were allowed to bring their owners. The canine attendees were red-carpet worthy, sporting tuxedos and bow ties, ballerina outfits, and ballroom gowns.

Lucas’s show is an amusing and poetic paean to the value of relationships in our lives, and of the surprising and inspiring journeys they bless us with. In his tale, a tormented but gentle-hearted sot, a miserable hoarding agitatrix, and two pint-sized Cerberus clones grouse and bark their way into becoming family. The upscale, glammed-up human attendees were captivated by the narrative, as they understood perfectly how animals and humans profoundly affect each other’s lives.

Richard Lucas

But they were only Lucas’s second-best audience that night, because the furry little costumed darlings were the most enraptured members. Some sat beside their owners or at their feet, listening with decorum to the performance, tails wagging, while other petite hounds scampered freely about, inspecting the scene.

One even joined Lucas in the limelight, sitting by his leg, looking up with eyes that clearly said it was time for a belly rub, which Lucas, without dropping a syllable of his story, knelt down and supplied.

Oliver and Lucas entertained the whole audience, leashed or otherwise, with Slogar and The Style Den creating an odd but absolutely delightful evening, hands down. Or should I say, “paws down?”

Richard Lucas

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photos courtesy of the production

The Dog Log
The Style Den, 13455 Maxella Avenue #180 in Marina Del Rey
presented with Pet Friendly Paw Life, Pawsitive Vibes LA and Yorkie Rescue of America
70 minutes, no intermission
reviewed on May 30, 2026
for more info, visit Richard Lucas

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