A Dog's Life (play): Difference between revisions

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* [[I'm Cold... So Cold...]]: {{spoiler|Ben's last words}} are along these lines, with a fair bit less [[Narm]] than is usually present.
* [[I'm Cold... So Cold...]]: {{spoiler|Ben's last words}} are along these lines, with a fair bit less [[Narm]] than is usually present.
{{quote| It's gone very... cold, hasn't it? I can't remember ever feeling this cold...}}
{{quote| It's gone very... cold, hasn't it? I can't remember ever feeling this cold...}}
* [[Jerk With a Heart of Gold]]: Fritz. He can be downright nasty, but he's had a pretty hard life. At the end, he {{spoiler|comforts the dying Ben and offers him some of his uneaten biscuit.}}
* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: Fritz. He can be downright nasty, but he's had a pretty hard life. At the end, he {{spoiler|comforts the dying Ben and offers him some of his uneaten biscuit.}}
* [[My God, What Have I Done?]]: Ben, after {{spoiler|biting the human who came to adopt a dog because the warden pressed his [[Berserk Button]].}}
* [[My God, What Have I Done?]]: Ben, after {{spoiler|biting the human who came to adopt a dog because the warden pressed his [[Berserk Button]].}}
* [[Naive Newcomer]]: Ginger.
* [[Naive Newcomer]]: Ginger.
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* [[No Name Given]]: The humans are not named.
* [[No Name Given]]: The humans are not named.
* [[Running Gag]]: What's a gag? Is it food? Is it? Is it?
* [[Running Gag]]: What's a gag? Is it food? Is it? Is it?
* [[Suicide By Cop]]: {{spoiler|Ben biting the visitor}} is functionally this, given that {{spoiler|it causes the Warden to schedule him to be put down even sooner.}}
* [[Suicide by Cop]]: {{spoiler|Ben biting the visitor}} is functionally this, given that {{spoiler|it causes the Warden to schedule him to be put down even sooner.}}
* [[This Is My Human]]: This is how the dogs refer to their owners, although the humans are still clearly in charge.
* [[This Is My Human]]: This is how the dogs refer to their owners, although the humans are still clearly in charge.
* [[The Tramp]]: Ben's master was one. {{spoiler|Referring to him as such in front of Ben, however, is a ''spectacularly'' bad idea.}}
* [[The Tramp]]: Ben's master was one. {{spoiler|Referring to him as such in front of Ben, however, is a ''spectacularly'' bad idea.}}

Revision as of 01:22, 15 April 2014

A Dog's Life is a one-act play by Pam Valentine. It follows a day in the life of four dogs in a pound when a human comes looking to adopt. The dogs are an old mongrel named Ben, a German Shepherd named Fritz, an incredibly overweight poodle named Fifi, and a hyperactive puppy named Ginger.

Tropes used in A Dog's Life (play) include:

 Fifi: I fell in love with a greyhound once.

Fritz: What has that got to do with anything?

Fifi: Nothing.

 Ginger: How many humans have you had, Fritz?

Fritz: Seven. Or is it eight?

some time later...

Ginger: What's fuzz? Is it food? Is it? Is it?

Fritz: Nine! I have had nine humans.

  • Cerebus Syndrome: Hoo, boy...
  • Child-Hater: Fritz. It's played for laughs.
  • Decoy Protagonist: The focus of the story is on Ben, not Ginger.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Mostly Fritz, but Ben also gets in a few digs.
  • Dog Stereotype: Somewhat.
    • Fifi the poodle is very French and quite spoiled, but rarely snooty about it except where Fritz is concerned.
    • Fritz the German shepherd is neither heroic nor particularly skilled, and is actually something of a Jerkass for most of the play.
    • Ben the mongrel is Street Smart, Book Dumb, and functionally the Team Dad.
    • Ginger the puppy is very sweet, but completely hyperactive.
  • Dramedy
  • Fat Girl: Fifi.
  • I'm Cold... So Cold...: Ben's last words are along these lines, with a fair bit less Narm than is usually present.

  It's gone very... cold, hasn't it? I can't remember ever feeling this cold...

  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Fritz. He can be downright nasty, but he's had a pretty hard life. At the end, he comforts the dying Ben and offers him some of his uneaten biscuit.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: Ben, after biting the human who came to adopt a dog because the warden pressed his Berserk Button.
  • Naive Newcomer: Ginger.
  • Nice Guy: Ben.
  • No Name Given: The humans are not named.
  • Running Gag: What's a gag? Is it food? Is it? Is it?
  • Suicide by Cop: Ben biting the visitor is functionally this, given that it causes the Warden to schedule him to be put down even sooner.
  • This Is My Human: This is how the dogs refer to their owners, although the humans are still clearly in charge.
  • The Tramp: Ben's master was one. Referring to him as such in front of Ben, however, is a spectacularly bad idea.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: Fritz and Fifi have something like this going on.