The Rittenhouse Review

A Philadelphia Journal of Politics, Finance, Ethics, and Culture


Tuesday, March 04, 2003  

MILDRED: ANTI-WAR ACTIVIST
Well, Sort Of

My Bulldog Mildred yesterday became an anti-war activist, participating in the Lysistrata Project's reading of the great Aristophanes comedy, Lysistrata.

Hers was not a public reading. Actually, it was just Mildred and I reading the play at home by ourselves. And, to tell you the truth, Mildred only read for a little while.

During our reading, at which there sadly, but not surprisingly, was no paying audience, Mildred played the part of Cleonice, in honor of Clea, a Bulldog she and I helped find a new and most welcome home.

Mildred did the best she could, but there were problems. Mildred is, as her fans know, virtually mute. She can speak, but I haven't heard her bark in, gee whiz, about four years or so.

And then there's the whole "But, daddy, I don't have an opposable thumb!" issue. Usually we can work around this, though it did make holding and keeping up with the script more than a little challenging for Mildred.

You probably will not be surprised to learn that soon after abandoning the role of Cleonice, Mildred fell asleep.

And, yes, she snored. Loudly. Persistently. Delightfully.

I love you, Mildred.

[Post-publication addendum: This article was posted earlier today at TRR: The Lighter Side of Rittenhouse.]

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