Woof! Some Tips for Having Animals Onstage

Jaya Whitehead performs as Annie, alongside the dog Rusty, who plays Sandy, during a preview of the Quirk’s Players' production of “Annie”.

• Michelle Jace

When I was barely 20 I was on makeup crew for a play involving a lot of gore and grunge. The esthetic was actually really neat and it gave me a ton of stage makeup practice during my university years. Possibly the most unique element of this show was a live snake. That is not a typo. Snake (name was NOT Wayne). Maybe unnecessary, maybe a little crazy, but it was an interesting and interactive element. This snake was chill. I actually held her for a couple of hours at a party one night and she was nothing but sweet. All of the evening rehearsals and performances (and parties) she was a true superstar. She was calm and compliant during her time onstage and backstage.

Then we had a matinee.

This snake was a creature of the night and that afternoon she was a touch grumpy. This normally docile snake ended up biting our director’s arm and did not let go for about half an hour. There was some difficulty getting the snake to release safely and we still had a show to do. I actually don’t think most of the cast and crew knew about it until after the whole ordeal was over and done with. It goes without saying that we did not use the snake for that matinee performance. The director handled the whole thing like a champ and I ran around the enormous building to help grab things and assist, but honestly, I have no memory of what I did to help. I just remember running the halls and stairs!  The debrief happened after the performance had concluded and everyone had some time to relax.

It wasn’t a formal meeting exactly, but after some reflection, the directorial and snake team had realized a few things: Every other time she had been needed it was in the evening and her regular human did not bring her to the theater that day. In the end, everyone was fine. Our deepest apologies all went to Ms. Snake who we so rudely interrupted napping. It did not happen again!

Some of my favorite days on set were the days I got to hang out with my dog. I answered a casting call for extra work looking for people with well-behaved dogs and after one job I got called a few more times to be the dog girl. My good boy was also a therapy dog, AKC champ, and had field training so he was completely sound of mind and very solid in new situations.

Typically these days on set with my pooch were about 6 hours long in a beautiful park or outdoor area. I would sit and read my book, visit crafty (snacks), let the cast take photos of my Labrador (costuming doesn’t like it when actors get dog hair all over their wardrobe between takes), and be called to set for maybe an hour or two of the whole day. Production was always very kind and made sure we were looked after. If you have a big ego don’t do this because I can promise that no one will want to talk to you and all of the attention goes to your pet.  Sidebar: Union background work isn’t a bad gig if you can find your niche. 

You never forget the times you see a scruffy dog drag Annie across the stage or when Dorothy gets wrapped up in her little dog’s leash. It's adorable and hilarious and the outcome depends completely on how the actors handle it. Animals are unpredictable. Even the best trained and most experienced will have their moments.

So maybe your next season includes a musical or play that calls for real animals and you’re a little worried. As humans, we can’t be in control of an animal’s every move. What we can do is make sure our show is respectful, safe, and well prepared. If you are involved in a professional production, an experienced animal wrangler will be on set to handle most situations. If you’re a community theatre looking into a play that requires animals, you might need some additional support.

Prepare Your Cast & Crew

Before the animal even arrives, the cast and crew need to be given a serious chat about boundaries and conduct. Make it part of the contract. Every animal is different so these needs will vary a bit. Some general guideline suggestions could include: do not touch without permission, do not feed anything without approval, do not approach or distract animal 10 minutes before and after each time on stage, and a list of who is approved to take the animal from their resting area backstage. Respect is mandatory.

Create A Quiet Space

Find somewhere backstage that can be comfortable and quiet for the TAILent to destress between stage time. Can the lights dim? Is there freshwater? Do they need a fan? Make sure this space is off-limits to unapproved cast and crew. 

Rehearse What Might Go Wrong 

As we all know, animals are unpredictable! This means shows need to have a backup plan. That could include an understudy animal, but it's also a good idea to rehearse some sort of action plan if the animal does what animals do onstage in front of a full house. What should Annie do if Sandy doesn’t run straight toward her? If Bruiser starts barking while Elle is singing, how should she hold him or hand him off to? Having these alternative emergency plans will give your cast and crew some extra confidence and preparation. 

Create an Emergency Plan

Just as you would ask for an emergency contact for humans involved, have the pet owner write down emergency contacts and veterinary information. Have an animal first aid kit at the theater. If this animal walks itself through the building consider having a crew member sweep and check for anything sharp on the ground before each call time.

Break a leg and have fun!