By MARIANNE HORTON
CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT

Children can dominate households. With their homework, sports and other activities, they are sure to keep their parents busy. But what do those parents do when their children grow up and move away? They get a dog. So goes the story with Sylvia, a play about two empty-nesters who soon find themselves with a new family addition.

The Encore Players will perform the romantic comedy at 8 p.m. Feb. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Katy Visual and Performing Arts Center, 2501 S. Mason Road. Advance tickets are $12 and can be ordered online at www.kvpac.org. Tickets at the door are $15.

The plot revolves around Sylvia (Aleice Wilmore), a Labrador and poodle mix, who joins the Parker family after they move from the suburbs to the city. Greg Parker (J.B. Gonzales) discovers her while on a walk in Central Park, immediately falling in love. The same affections for Sylvia, however, cannot be said for his wife, Kate Parker (Claudia McCotter), who thought her dog-rearing days ended when the children went off to college. The story provides both insight into a dog’s psychic and the interactions between pets and their owners.

Wilmore, who made her KVPAC debut with Into the Woods, said she prepared for the role of Sylvia by watching her dog, a Shih Tzu and poodle mix named Ellie.

"I’ve become much more aware of my dog’s personality and how she gets what she wants," Wilmore said, adding, she felt her dog’s aches and pains at the end of each rehearsal.

"It’s probably one of the most physical roles I’ve had; I’m always running and jumping," she said. "Now I know why my dog can have so much energy and then crash."

To Kate, Sylvia is not only a hyperactive dog but also competition for her husband’s attention. Family dynamics change when another being is added to the mix, said Gonzales, who is not a dog owner but is the parent of a 4-year-old daughter.

"Having a child creates a triangle in a relationship by definition," he said. "Obviously, a child is a lot different than a dog, but I am finding some similarities."

To work through those challenges, Greg and Kate often vent and take advice from friends: Tom, Phyllis and Leslie, all played by Andy Midkiff who effortlessly changes from being a gruff dog owner at the park to Kate’s socialite friend with distaste for indoor pets.

Producer Jill Manser said the story is one to which many pet owners will relate.

"Anyone who has ever owned a dog will be in tears because they’ll be laughing so hard," she said. "You just have that special relationship with your pet."

To further recognize the bond between pets and their owners, KVPAC held a doggie headshot contest and will be hosting pet adoptions. Manser said they received at least 50 entries for the contest.

"Everybody thinks they’re dog is the cutest dog ever," she said, "so it didn’t surprise me we got so many."

After the play, audience members will cast their votes, and the winner will go home with a prize basket from Pawty Palace.

Special pet adoptions with Zeke Animal Rescue also will be held before, during and after the Feb. 14 matinee.