Love That Dog

Little Blue Theatre Company brings Love That Dog to the Centennial Performing Arts Studios from October 9 through 18, a one-person production adapted by Andrew Frank and Jason Howard from Sharon Creech's novel. Maya Riley (she/they) takes the stage as Jack, the boy at the center of the story.

Love That Dog follows Jack, who spends most of his time resisting his teacher's poetry assignments. Prompt by prompt, he eventually finds he has a lot to say, and much of it is about his dog. Along the way, the show weaves in the poetry of Robert Frost, William Carlos Williams, and Walter Dean Myers, and Jack eventually writes his own poems about Sky, his dog and best friend who died after being struck by a car. It's a story about resilience and putting hard feelings into words, and it's recommended for ages 8 and older.

Little Blue Theatre Company, a Nashville 501(c)(3) founded in 2025, staged this as a sensory-friendly production from the ground up, so there are no startling sounds and no sudden surprises. The run falls over the Metro Nashville Public Schools fall break, when the book is on the fourth-grade reading list, and Parnassus Books is providing free copies of the novel.

Performances run October 9 through 18, with Friday shows at 7 PM and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday matinees at 2 PM. Doors open 30 minutes before each performance, and the run time is about 55 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for those under 18, and the show plays at the CPAS Black Box, Centennial Performing Arts Studios, 211 27th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203.