Doggy Method Acting?! Annaleigh Ashford Is Taking Obedience Classes Before Playing a Pooch in Sylvia

Tony nominee Annaleigh Ashford will be barking on Broadway this fall—yes, you heard us, barking—in the new revival of A.R. Gurney’s Sylvia. But before she will sit, fetch and shake paws as the title pup, she’s taking her canine commitment very seriously. “I have a mini Australian Shepherd named Gracie, and she’s going to be a great inspiration,” she told Broadway.com exclusively. “This summer we have some obedience classes planned, as well as speed and agility courses, and we’re going to be doing some dog training together.” Wow, this takes method acting to a whole new level!

While this is Ashford's first time playing a pup, the Broadway favorite does have prior experience working with dogs on the Great White Way. “I was the scene partner for Chico, who played Bruiser in Legally Blonde," she explained. "So I spent a lot of time with [Broadway animal trainer] Bill Berloni learning about the psychology of dogs, and that was a great precursor for Sylvia.”

Believe it or not, playing a pooch has always been a goal for the Masters of Sex star, who will appear alongside humans Julie White and Robert Sella in the first Broadway production of the 1995 comedy. “I’ve always loved playing creatures who are not human, so the opportunity to play a dog—and not just any dog, but a loving, dedicated, interesting, funny and independent dog—is a dream come true,” she said. Break a paw, Annaleigh!