Arts & Entertainment

Lafayette Rescue Dog Steals the Show in "Annie"

Adopted from a local shelter, Gertie turned out to be tailor-made for the role of Sandy in Diablo Theatre Company production of Annie.


When Diablo Theatre Company was searching for a dog to play "Sandy" in its upcoming production of the Broadway musical "Annie," it didn't have far to look.

Marianna Ford, the show's costume designer, had the perfect pooch: "Gertie," whose background is similar to that of Annie's beloved "Sandy," the stray dog the redheaded orphan discovered in 1925 when the comic strip bearing her name first appeared in the newspapers.

Ford and her family, Lafayette residents for 24 years, adopted "Gertie" from the Contra Costa County Animal Services shelter in Martinez nearly eight years ago – when she was just seven weeks old.

"She is really a classic mutt," says Ford, "and it didn't take long for her to become endeared to our family (husband Andy and daughters Aerial and Daphne) and the neighborhood kids."

Sound familiar? "Gertie" made her stage debut five years ago as "Sandy" in the Willows Theatre Company production of "Annie" and was on stage for 33 performances.

"She loved every minute of it," says Ford.

Even though "Gertie" does not often respond to the name "Sandy," she never missed a cue.

"She will respond to anyone who makes eye contact with her," says Ford. "If you toss some tasty treats into the mix it is pretty easy to train her to go to someone consistently. She is a pretty smart dog with a very gentle nature. She loves to have her fur vaccumed, loves to go for walks and rides in the car, and has always been willing to share her house with cats."

Patch Note: Diablo Theatre Company's "Annie" runs from Sept. 10 through Oct. 2 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Patch extends its thanks to Robert Rezak for dropping us a line about Gertie.


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