More than just a mascot for Cambrian College's Black Dog
Productions, Stella is a veteran actress, and a great publicity
hound (OK, technically, I guess she is a publicity lab). Whatever
you call it, a dog in a tailcoat gets attention, even in a Fringe
Festival crowd.
The Fringe Nord Theatre Festival 1995 marked Stella's stage debut, at the young age of only 9 months (that's still a baby, even in dog years), appearing in a series of skits titled "Sudbury Sketches". Stella played three different roles: 911-the rescue dog (the only medical services left after the hospital restructuring), a seeing-eye dog in an Optical shop, and the conductor of the Sudbury Symphony.
Unfortunately, Stella was booted out of the opening ceremonies by some pickle-up-the-butt security jerkoff. Had she been wearing her (very illegal-don't do this) guide-dog costume, no doubt she would have been welcomed. Instead she dressed for the occasion in her conductor costume. Live and learn. Getting kicked out of the ceremonies gave us the kind of publicity we could never afford to buy.
Stella reprised her roles in Sudbury Sketches for a cabaret performace at the Jubilee Centre. Being the only actor in Black Dog Productions stable of performers who has actually had obedience training makes her ever popular with both her fellow actors as well as directors and technicians.
For Stella's next stage appearance, she donned a
bowler hat and appeared as "the dog who came in the
kitchen" in Black Dog Production's presentation of Samuel
Beckett's classic "Waiting for Godot". Like most pets,
Stella is quite familiar with the concept of waiting for a
mysterious being who will make life better (or at least fill your
food dish).
When not acting Stella likes to fetch sticks, chase squirrels, swim in icy cold water, sleep on the furniture, and eat kleenex.