A new star has been born in the University of Texas Pan-American’s theater program.

“Buttercup,” a golden lab retriever, will make her debut to the stage 8 p.m. Wednesday in the University Theatre Productions’ rendition of John Steinbeck’s classic novel Of Mice and Men. The show will run through Sunday at Albert L. Jeffers Theatre on UTPA’s campus. It will play at 8 p.m. every day and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Few productions of the play cast the dog, which is usually discussed but never shown, said Marian Monta, University Theater professor emeritus. There is a tradition among theater people never to share the stage with a child or a dog because they will steal the focus, she said.  READ MORE