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Gertie the bassett hound ready to steal the show

Meet Vancouver’s newest four-legged Bard on the Beach star
gertie
Gertie, a six-year-old local bassett hound, will be the first dog to appear on the Bard stages since 2001.

After a gruelling round of auditions — yes, think American Idol — one dog bested 12 finalists to play the part of Crab in this year’s Bard on the Beach production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Gertie, a six-year-old local bassett hound, will be the first dog to appear on the Bard stages since 2001. The stakes are high, but the play’s production team is confident they chose the right thespian for this amazing “paw-portunity.”

“Gertie impressed the entire judging panel; she has that magic combination of good looks, smarts and an unflappable personality. I’m looking forward to putting her through her paces and introducing her to Bard audiences this summer. I predict she’ll be a breakout star,” the play’s director, Scott Bellis, said in the festival’s casting announcement.

Like Shakespeare’s dog in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gertie’s head is “hung with ears that sweep away the morning dew.”

Before this shot at stardom, Gertie was just an ordinary hound dog. She loves to smell everything and is not a discerning eater — she has consumed at least 12 socks in her lifetime.

Aside from working to be the next big thing, Gertie is said to enjoy hiking, snowshoeing, sticking her head through strangers’ legs and regurgitating things she shouldn’t have eaten.

You can catch Gertie’s acting debut in The Two Gentlemen of Verona at Bard on Beach June 29 to September 17.

Until then, here’s a video of Gertie post-fame (c’mon, you know you want to witness the making of a star):

 

arvin.joaquin@carleton.ca