Sit. Stay. Shake. Roll over. Play dead. You’ve seen these canine tricks done before. But have you seen a dog give a cat a piggyback ride? How about a group of dogs learning math in a classroom or a house cat showing off in a circus? Odds are you haven’t witnessed such sights, but you can see all that and more this weekend at the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater at the Buckman Arts Center.
The show, created by Gregory Popovich, features performances by dogs, cats, pigeons, parrots, a mini horse, a mini pig, and a few humans, including Popovich himself. Popovich, a fifth-generation circus performer, grew up in the Ukraine circus scene, traveling from city to city, never staying in one place long. As a kid, this meant he didn’t make too many friends — human friends at least. “Dogs were my friends,” he says, specifically the dogs his parents trained for their acts. “In fact, they were my babysitter when I was a very young, small kid. Sometimes for me it was easier to find communication with pets than with humans, believe me or not.”
Once he came to the U.S. and began working in Las Vegas as a juggler, Popovich wanted to bring back the pet-focused act his parents had honed and taught him back in the Soviet Union. “I asked my American friends where I could find some dogs, and they recommended local animal shelters,” he says. “When I first went to the animal shelter, I was surprised how many nice-looking dogs there were looking for a new owner. And because I came from the Soviet Union — in those times in Soviet Union, we didn’t have animal shelters — it was very exciting that the government in the United States supports the homeless pets. But, on other hand, I learned from the animal shelter staff how those pets came to the shelter, and I learned that people sometimes do not realize the pets have personality and do not respect their pets. And for me as a pet lover, it was kind of very painful. … Animals are people.”
From that moment on, Popovich knew that he would only include animals from rescues and shelters in his show. “My main goal is to show audiences, ‘Look, ordinary pets can be very talented, very cute.’ If after my show, someone from the audience visits a local animal shelter, I feel like my message reached its target.”
Currently, Popovich has almost 30 pets, all of whom live at his ranch-style home in Las Vegas, with a staff of five helping to care for them. In addition to teaching them tricks, part of the animals’ training includes getting them used to being on stage with an audience. “We want them to feel comfortable,” Popovich says. “As a trainer or as a master, I have to watch their body language.” So, if a cat or dog isn’t up for a trick during a performance, he respects that since he wants to highlight their personalities, not their ability to do a trick. The pets even participate in little sketches, showing off their unique temperaments. “That’s why we call it Pet Theater.”
Altogether, though, the show is a variety show, with humans also doing their own tricks from comedy to juggling to acrobatics. “The audience will have to decide who is more talented by applause,” Popovich says. “Believe me or not, the pets always win.”
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater, Buckman Arts Center at St. Mary’s School, Saturday, April 1, 5 p.m. & 7 p.m., $35. Purchase tickets here.
