Lawsuit Against Dog Sees God Producer Is Dismissed

By Robert Simonson
July 18, 2006

A lawsuit against Dede Harris, a producer of the Off-Broadway show Dog Sees God, was dismissed by a Manhattan Supreme Court judge, the New York Times reported July 18.

Dog Sees God producer Peter Stern and Martian Entertainment filed the $5 million suit against Harris. The suit charged that Harris made "sexual overtures to one or more" cast members of the show, accusing the producer of "fraudulent, reckless and grossly negligent behavior." Harris denied all the charges. The New York Post reported that all of the producers had been banned from Century Center, the theatre where Dog Sees God played until Feb. 20, 2006.

Judge Herman Cahn imposed $5,000 fines on Stern and his lawyer, Andrew L. Schwab, "on the grounds that the claims and many of the allegations of fact are frivilous."

Bert V. Royal penned Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, which follows the original gang from the Charles Schulz comic strip a decade later, soon after their beloved beagle companion dies.

Impending adulthood has now resulted in new identities: a once popular boy in an existential dilemma; an abused pianist; a pyromaniac ex-girlfriend; two drunk cheerleaders; a homophobic quarterback; a burnt out Buddhist; and a drama queen sister.

The starry original cast included Eddie Kaye Thomas ("American Pie," Smelling A Rat) as CB, America Ferrara ("Real Women Have Curves," "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants") as CB's Sister, Keith Nobbs ("Phone Booth," Romance) as Van, Eliza Dushku ("Bring It On," "Tru Calling") as Van's Sister, Ian Somerhalder ("Lost," "Rules of Attraction") as Matt, Kelli Garner ("The Aviator," "Thumbsucker") as Tricia, Ari Graynor ("Mystic River," Brooklyn Boy) as Marcy and Logan Marshall Green ("The O.C.," The Distance From Here) as Beethoven.