Wednesday, October 3, 2012

RENO, Nev.— This summer's Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival has produced an unlikely star: a deaf pit bull named Michael who narrowly escaped euthanasia.

The 6-year-old American Staffordshire terrier has turned out to be a hoot in his role as Crab the dog in the Bard's comedy, "The Two Gentlemen of Verona," festival organizers and audience members said.

Michael plays a miscreant of sorts who doesn't care to please his owner, they said, and his varied spontaneous reactions to his owner's laments on stage frequently prompt laughter. Among other things, Michael has scratched his head, chewed on a foot or thrown apathetic glances at the audience when Crab's owner, Launce, played by Kevin Crouch, pours his heart out.

Joan O'Lear, of Tahoe Vista, Calif., remembers the night she watched as Michael spotted a tiny service dog in the front row. "He honed in on her and whined at the perfectly timed monologue that the actor was giving about how even the dog didn't care about his plight," she recalled. "It was so funny. The Shakespeare play was good, but Mike added the crowning touch."

Michael's real owner, Michelle Okashima, of Incline Village, told the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza there's "a great chemistry between Mike and Kevin that makes their stage time together electric and believable."

Not bad for a dog who was scheduled for euthanasia in July 2006 in Reno after he was found running loose and no one claimed him.

Okashima said she's grateful for his last-minute rescue by Nanette Cronk of the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe and his selection for the play. Michael and another dog were chosen to play Crab out of 11 dogs that auditioned. Michael appears in two or three plays a week, performing in three scenes for a total of about 15 minutes each night.

"What are the odds they would pick a pit bull?" Okashima told The Associated Press. "All the time they face rejection in our society. I was shocked he got the part. I really appreciate the fact they gave him a shot."

Michael has posed no problem other than the time he jumped offstage in dress rehearsal because a woman smuggled a Shih Tzu in her purse inside the theater, she added.

Michael also is a registered therapy dog who visits hospitals, schools and veteran's homes. He also has been used to raise money for cancer research.

"He got a second chance, and I believe in giving back," said Okashima, an employee at Scraps Dog Bakery in Kings Beach, Calif.

Unlike his role in the play, Michael aims to please people in real life. "He's a wonderful guy, real sweet. I call him my big lump of brown sugar," she said.

51 comments:

male extra pills said...

My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different web address and thought I might check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to checking out your web page again.

Genf20 Plus Ingredients said...

My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different web address and thought I might check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to checking out your web page again.

Anonymous said...

Variety: How wonderful would it be if all games could possibly
be moulded for your liking. Checking out a few well-written reviews
can be among the finest approaches to do this.
Different websites current many portions involving capital to get received
by web-site signing up.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the good writeup. It if truth be told was once a enjoyment account it.
Glance complicated to far brought agreeable from you!
However, how could we keep in touch?

Anonymous said...

It's nearly impossible to find experienced people in this particular topic, but you
seem like you know what you're talking about!

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Very good info. Lucky me I discovered your website by accident (stumbleupon).
I have saved it for later!

Anonymous said...

Very good info. Lucky me I discovered your website by accident (stumbleupon).
I have saved it for later!

Anonymous said...

There are a number of factors involved in making thius decision. While
the early 2000's saw DSL andd the Dedicated Internet Access(DIA) as the dominant sources of Bandwidth used
to deliver the Internet to thhe business community, the current trend might suggest
that the cable companies entry into the business market could become a significant source in the coming years.

Surveillance has also increased thanks to the internet.

Anonymous said...

This can save you a great deal of money, especiaally if the
internet plan is aimed to serve several members of the family,
for instance. These workers are usually of the Generation Y and Millennials who are more apt tto demand instant gratification and don't
want to spend their time stufk in an office cubicle behind a desk.
In fact, there are actualloy several ways to advertise online without having
to worry about large costs.

Anonymous said...

Thiis can mean that an unsuspecting consumer quickly amounts enormous additional
charges on top of the regular payment they have agreed tto make for their service.
While the early 2000's saw DSL and then Dedicated Internet Access(DIA) as the dominant sources of Bandwidth used to deliver the Intrnet to the business community, the current trend might
suggest that the cable companies entry ito the business
market could become a significant source in the coming years.
Finally, tthe internet will allow people another revenue stream by either freelancing or selling items online.

Anonymous said...

I do not know if it's just me or if perhaps everyone else experiencing problems with your website.

It appears like some of the written text on your content are running off the screen. Can somebody else please comment and let me know if this is
happening to them as well? This may be a issue with my
web browser because I've had this happen previously. Cheers

Anonymous said...

In fact Optus can now state that it has a much broader offer than Telstra who launched their 4G
service in 2011 and now has over 100,000customers using it.
Yoou can classify wireless internet service providers
in two groups based on the area where they operate.
To avail this service of affordable Vo - IP international calls, you firstly need to get
yourself registered with Vo - IP serfice provider.

On the supplements said...

My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different web address and thought I might check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to checking out your web page again.

Anonymous said...

Hello just wanted to give yoou a quick heads up. The words in yokur content
seeem to be running off the screen in Opera. I'm not sure iff this is a formatting isssue or something to
do with web browsser compatibility but I figured I'd post
to let you know. The desikgn and style look great though!

Hope yyou get the issue resolved soon. Kudos

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate your efforts and I will be waiting for your next write ups thank
you once again.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate your efforts and I will be waiting for your next write ups
thank you once again.

Anonymous said...

A person essentially help to make severely posts
I'd state. This is the first time I frequented your web page and so far?
I surprised with the research you made to create this particular put up extraordinary.
Great process!

Anonymous said...

A person essentially help to make severely posts I'd state.
This is the first time I frequented your web page and so
far? I surprised with the research you made to create this particular
put up extraordinary. Great process!

Anonymous said...

magnificent issues altogether, you just won a
brand new reader. What may you recommend in regards to your publish
that you just made some days ago? Any positive?

Anonymous said...

What's up everyone, it's my first pay a quick visit
at this web page, and paragraph is in fact fruitful designed for me, keep up
posting these types of articles or reviews.

Anonymous said...

Very nice article, exactly what I wanted to find.

Anonymous said...

I seriously love your site.. Pleasant colors & theme.
Did you make this web site yourself? Please reply back as I'm trying to create my very own website and want to find out where you got this
from or just what the theme is called. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

It's a pity you don't have a donate button! I'd
definitely donate to this outstanding blog!

I guess for noww i'll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to fresh updateds annd will talk about this site with my Facebook group.
Talk soon!

Anonymous said...

Howdy! This post could not be written any better! Reading this post remincs
me of my good old room mate! He always kept
talking about this. I will forward this page too him.
Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thankk you for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Hey there! I'm at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone
3gs! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward
to all your posts! Keep up the excellent work!

Anonymous said...

It's hard to come by experienced people for this subject, however, you seem like you know what
you're talking about! Thanks

Anonymous said...

Hello there, I do think your website might be having web
browser compatibility problems. Whenever I look at your web site in Safari, it
looks fine however when opening in Internet Explorer, it's got some overlapping issues.
I simply wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Aside from that, excellent website!

Anonymous said...

Nicee post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am inspired!

Very useful information particularly the remaining pazrt
:) I maintain such information a lot. I used to be seeking this partricular
info for a long time. Thanhk you and best of luck.

Anonymous said...

Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you
wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do
with a few pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead
of that, this is wonderful blog. A great read. I will definitely be back.

Anonymous said...

Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote
the book in it or something. I think that you could do with a few pics to
drive the message home a bit, but instead of that, this is wonderful blog.
A great read. I will definitely be back.

Anonymous said...

Whhy users stll use to read news papers when iin this technological
globe everything is available on net?

Anonymous said...

Why users stll use to read news papers when in this technological globe everything iss avaiable on net?

Anonymous said...

This design is incredible! You most certainly know how to keep a reader amused.
Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved too
start my own blog (well, almost...HaHa!) Great
job. I reallpy loved what you had to say, and more than that,
how you presented it. Too cool!

Anonymous said...

I read this post completely concerning the
comparison of most recent and previous technologies, it's amazing article.
http://iphixnj.org/modules.php?name=Your_Account&op=userinfo&username=cribclimb9

Anonymous said...

I read this post completely concerning the comparison of most recent and previous technologies, it's
amazing article. http://iphixnj.org/modules.php?name=Your_Account&op=userinfo&username=cribclimb9

Anonymous said...

Hello! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any issues with hackers?
My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing several weeks of hard work due to no data backup.
Do you have any solutions to prevent hackers?

Anonymous said...

Hello! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any
issues with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended
up losing several weeks of hard work due to no
data backup. Do you have any solutions to prevent hackers?

Anonymous said...

Wonderful goods from you, man. I've keep in mind your stuff prior to and you're siumply too
magnificent. I really like what you have got here, certainly like what you are sayting and thhe way
through which you assert it. You make it entertaining and you continue to take care of to keep it wise.
Ican't wait to learn much more from you. This
is really a wonderful web site.

Anonymous said...

tindr , what is tinder

Anonymous said...

tindr , what is tinder

Anonymous said...

Hi there very nice blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Wonderful
.. I will bookmark your website andd take the feeds also?
I'm satisfied too seek out numerous hlpful information right here within thhe publish, we want work out extra techniques
on this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .

Anonymous said...

I think this is among the most important information for me.

And i am glkad reading your article. But want to resmark on few general things,
The ssite style is ideal, the articles is really great :
D. Good job, cheers

Anonymous said...

For almost 30 years our dedicated roofers
have provided the folks of the realm with industry-leading roofing companies and
distinctive customer service. Roofers within the NW local weather must deal with some
various weather conditions, therefore they must have a information of
which materials last lengthy in heats and different temperatures in order that roofs
are stable and safe, all yr round. Whether or not you
require shingles repair, roof leak restore, chimney caps,
gutter restore, roofing shingles or other roofing supplies to guard your private home, we’re the only roofing company you’ll ever need.

I found the Durable roofing company guys organized since they laid down the plan and explained each step of the roofing course
of. Using this expertise allows us to offer essentially the most comprehensive roofing
estimate, all the way down to the number of nails we’ll use.
As rainwater goes on to accumulate on the roof, the structure could be
getting steadily weaker and might break down finally.
Whereas they may additionally state what their
expectations or even objections are and clarify them, the important factor is each of you understand what to anticipate from each other and set clear, widespread goals.
This isn't a company that makes use of trial and error methods, the skilled specialists know what they are doing
and can complete your project beyond your expectations.

Anonymous said...

Hi there, I enjoy reading all of your post. I like to write a little comment to support you.

Anonymous said...

whoah this blog is magnificent i love studying your posts.
Keep up the good work! You already know, lots of individuals are searching round for this info, you could help
them greatly.

Anonymous said...

The match demands to finish in a draw by the finish of regulation.

Anonymous said...

It can speedily be determined that the Golden State Warriors are the favorites whilst the odds on Houston and Cleveland winning
are longer.

Anonymous said...

You can also fund your sports betting account with a Western Union or
MoneyGram deposit.

Anonymous said...

Can I simply just say what a relief to find someone who genuinely knows what
they are discussing online. You certainly understand how to
bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more
people ought to check this out and understand this side of the story.
I can't believe you are not more popular given that you definitely possess the
gift.

Anonymous said...

Howdy! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering
iif yyou knew where I coyld find a captcha plugin for my comment form?
I'm using the same blog platform ass yours and I'm having difficulty finding
one? Thanks a lot!

Anonymous said...

WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for 여성알바사이트