Photograph by Brinson + Banks
The actor on stage can’t seem to find his mark. It’s a Friday night at Dad’s Garage, and we’re here to see him do some improv, but instead he trips over his long limbs and rushes off the stage before the scene can even start. The actor in question is a white Great Dane mix with black spots named Oden: He’s one of four adoptable dogs from the rescue organization Angels Among Us who have joined Dad’s Garage cast members onstage for the show Puppy Prov.
Dad’s has been hosting the show regularly since 2023. It’s a way to support dog adoption—critical in a city with chronically overfull shelters—as well as introduce audience members to canines they can take home that same night. Joshua Quinn, who joined the theater company’s improv performance ensemble in 2022, often shares the stage with man’s best friend. Tonight, he’s paired with a pointy-eared Chihuahua mix named Petey Rascal. As in traditional improv shows, the cast calls out for suggestions (emotions, say, or best places on the Beltline), and the dog becomes the scene partner, playing a fellow bar patron or the groom toasted at a wedding.
Who makes the paw-fect scene partner? “A dog that’s relaxed and goes with the flow fits the nature of improv well,” Quinn says. “If the dog isn’t immediately frazzled or worried when the improviser does something weird and silly, it will go great—even better if they don’t have a full bladder.”
This article appears in our June 2025 issue.
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