In her introduction to Little Altars Everywhere,  Rebecca Wells writes that this collection of stories was about "hidden blessings in suffering." In conceptualizing this adaptation of "Cruelty to Animals," a short story from that collection, I have pondered this statement deeply.  Both the "blessings" and "suffering" in "Cruelty to Animals" come to the reader disguised in a cloak of grotesque comedy.  Through the ironic attitude of Little Shep, the narrator seems to call into question the ultimate meaningfulness of both "suffering" and "blessing."  

In my adaptation of "Cruelty to Animals"  I have used the Readers Theatre convention of having a narrator who both tells his story and participates in a re-enacting of the events described.  It is my intent that the use of an epic mode of presentation will create a distancing effect for the audience and provoke a critical, Brechtian consideration of the values presented rather than encouraging emotional involvement with the characters' predicaments.

In addition, I utilize several other adamantly non-realistic staging techniques to heighten this sense that events are taking place in an unreal, "cartoon" world.  Costumes are in bright, primary colors.  Characters play pictures on the wall, a television set, and dolls who swap heads.  At several points, I have characters freeze in tableaux reminiscent of religious paintings.  Miss Peppy is not portrayed as a dog, but as an anthropomorphized figure as separated from the behavior of a real canine as Mickey Mouse is from that of a real rodent.

I hope that my utilization of these staging choices will heighten the audience's awareness that they are witnessing not reality, but a metaphor for reality.  From this perspective I hope my auditors will be able to look past the pathos and humor of the piece and sense the underlying commentary.